Music and the Genius
by FirefliesFlash
Summary: Crummy title, but is basically a story about the beloved Dr. Reid trying to pick up the pieces after Maeve's death. He meets the lovely Teagan Wellers and well, you can guess what happens, right? Rated T for mild language and some scenes that may come later. Be warned. I do NOT write smut!
1. Chapter 1

25 year old Teagan Wellers pushed her bangs out of her face and sighed, staring at the computer screen. She had to type up this assessment and place it in her client's binder by 4 p.m.  
"Ugh," she sighed again. "I can't concentrate." She decided to go to the lounge and get herself her third cup of coffee for this afternoon. _ So much for sleeping tonight_, she thought. _But I NEED a break_. After being slapped by a client and a string popping on her guitar during one of the music therapy sessions she led, she was feeling drained. She had only been working at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital for about 6 months as a music therapist. She worked with many populations, from pediatrics to geriatrics. Right now, she was supposed to be filling out an assessment on her newest client, a child with Cerebral Palsy, who had been referred to her by the child's treatment team, but she had been staring at the screen for so long that the words were starting to blur.

Teagan stood up from her black leather swivel desk chair and stretched. She took a quick glance around the office she shared with the hospital's other music therapist, Gene Richardson. Her desk was scattered with Post-It notes, folders, paper clips, guitar picks, and other small items. Behind her desk, she kept her guitar locked tight in a case. Gene's desk on the other hand, was neat and organized. He was currently in pediatrics leading a group session. She leaned down to retrieve her purse from the bottom drawer of the desk to search for change when she heard a knock at her door. She jumped, startled, and hit her head on the ledge of her desk.

"OW!" she exclaimed, rubbing the spot she hit.  
"Excuse me," a soft voice stated. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." Teagan looked up and saw a tall, lanky man with short brown hair staring back at her.  
"Um, it's fine. I'm, uh, a little clumsy." _Damn, he's gorgeous_. The man was extremely tall compared to her measly 5 feet and a half inch. His eyes were like liquid chocolate and the circles under them indicated that he didn't sleep well.

"I'm looking for Dr. Skarsgard," the man stated. _Huh? Dr. Skarsgard? Who is that? Wait! That name sounds familiar. Gene pointed him out in the cafeteria one time. He's a neurologist, I think_.  
"Isn't he a neurologist?" Teagan replied.

"Yes," the man answered, seeming slightly agitated.  
"Neurology isn't on this floor," she answered. "It's on the next. I'm not sure he'll be there, though."  
"Oh, well, I'm sorry I bothered you," he mumbled. "Thanks so much for your help."

"No problem."

Teagan watched the man exit out of the office and walk towards the elevator. _That was odd. Most doctors aren't on call until late in the evening or very early in the morning, but maybe this guy knows Dr. Skarsgard and his schedule. Who knows?_ She then resumed to searching for change in her purse. After she found some, she left the office and headed towards the lounge for coffee.

CMCMCMCM

Dr. Spencer Reid headed towards the elevator. He pressed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive. He glanced at his watch. He was going to miss Dr. Skarsgard on his round. He was hardly late for anything. If he had just driven here instead of taking the Metro, but he always took the Metro. Dr. Skarsgard had an office outside of the hospital of course, but he had sought his help out of desperation. Spencer refused to believe that his migraines were psychosomatic. Whatever Maeve had told him to do to relieve them before her death had been helping, but now they were getting steadily worse, if that were possible. They were terrible before. He took his vitamins daily, like Maeve had suggested. He even swapped from coffee to tea, but nothing seemed to be working. The elevator dinged, startling him from his thoughts. He boarded the elevator and hit the button that would take him to the next floor. He exited the elevator and looked around. There was a man at the nurse's station, filling out paperwork and speaking to a nurse. He looked up.

"Can I help you, sir?"  
"I'm looking for a Dr. Skarsgard. We spoke on the phone. He told me to meet him while he was on rounds. Is he here?"

"You're speaking to him. So you're Dr. Reid, correct? Spencer nodded.  
"Dr. Skarsgard, I know this is highly unusual but I'm desperate. I know I'm breaking protocol, but I am having these terrible headaches-"

"Like we spoke about over the phone?"  
"Yes and I just don't believe that they are psychosomatic."  
"Dr. Reid, I have looked over your chart thoroughly and there's nothing to suggest that they are triggered by anything. They're all in your mind." Spencer pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.  
"No! Something has to cause this."  
"Dr. Reid, given your family history, don't you think that it could be psychosomatic?"  
"Yes," he replied angrily. This was getting nowhere. This doctor, who he'd been referred to by another neurologist, refused to believe him as well. They saw that his mother was a paranoid schizophrenic so naturally all doctors thought that he was making his headaches up. He was 30. Well past the age of onset of schizophrenia in males. He knew when his head ached, throbbed with pain. He knew when the pain became so unbearable that he nearly passed out from it. There was no way he could or would make this up.

"I suggest," Dr. Skarsgard replied, "That you take some time off from work. What is it that you do? Oh, yes, profiling for the FBI?" Spencer nodded yet again. "Take a vacation. Don't stress yourself out too much and you'll find these symptoms will go away, okay?" Spencer felt like he was being spoken to like a child. He hated that.  
"Yes. Thank you for your time."  
"No problem, Dr. Reid." Spencer turned on his heel and exited towards the elevator. He was fuming. He needed yet another opinion. _If Maeve was here, she'd know what to do to help me_. _But she's not here. And it's my fault. All my fault. If I'd only gone against her wishes and tried to save her before Diane kidnapped her, then she'd be here. I could have handled her being angry. She could have been alive and angry, but now she's gone. _The elevator dinged again, interrupting his thoughts. The girl from downstairs was on the elevator with a guitar strapped to her back, a purse slung over one shoulder, and a bag of various handheld instruments slung over the other. The guitar looked bigger than she was. She was tiny, barely over five feet tall. She had short blond hair that was styled in a bob with bangs that were cut straight across.  
"Hello again," she chirped. Her accent indicated that she wasn't from this area. She sounded like she was from the Southeastern United States, like maybe Alabama or Georgia.  
"Hi," he replied.  
"Did you ever find Dr. Skarsgard?" Her "you" sounded like "yah". _Definitely from the South_.  
"Yes. Thanks for the directions."  
"No problem." She then grinned a very toothy grin at him and left the elevator.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I do not own Criminal Minds. I wish I did. Maeve wouldn't have died and Spencer wouldn't be so pitiful. If Reid sounds too OOC, please let me know. I also do not want Teagan to become a Mary Jane. I know some things wouldn't be done necessarily the way they are occurring, (Reid meeting a doctor at a hospital instead of an office and not really being referred, but please keep in mind that this is the only way I could think of Teagan and Spencer to meet.) And Teagan is a little quirky. You'll see in later chapters. Please read and review, folks! I'd appreciate it!-XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

Reid watched as the tiny woman left the elevator. He was still fuming slightly. He reached into his ever present messenger bag and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly dialed a number and waited for the person on the other line to pick up.  
"Hello, Dr. Brubeck speaking."  
"Yes, Dr. Brubeck. I just met with Dr. Skarsgard and he was no help at all. He also seems to think that they symptoms are psychosomatic."  
"Well, Dr. Reid, you can go get as many opinions as you would like, but many of my colleagues are going to say the same thing."

"But what if I know that they're wrong?"  
"Dr. Reid, I do not doubt for a second that you have very intense migraines. I am sure they are quite terrible, but I do not know what makes them occur. I think they could be psychosomatic, but that does not mean that they aren't. I do not know what causes your migraines. Whatever that Dr. Donovan you spoke of suggested must have worked."  
"It's stopped working."  
"How are your stress levels?"  
"Excuse me?"

"I asked how are your stress levels? I think given the intensity of your job that you are highly stressed. Have you ever considered therapy?"  
"I'm assuming you mean counseling."  
"No, I mean therapy. Music therapy specifically. Have you ever heard of it?"  
"Actually, yes I have. It's been a growing profession since the 1950s. It was recently mentioned on the news with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Music therapy helped her gain the ability to speak again. But how will it help me?"  
"I think you should just try it. If it doesn't work, then I'll look for other forms of therapy."  
"Thanks."  
"You're welcome, Dr. Reid. However, I'm breaking several forms of protocol. You don't have a treatment team, but I will refer you to a music therapist that is on staff at the same hospital where Dr. Skarsgard works."  
"What's their name?"  
"Gene Richardson. He works with some woman named Teagan Wellers, but I'm not as familiar with her. Gene worked with my wife after she was diagnosed with cancer. He's wonderful."

"Thank you, Dr. Brubeck."  
"You're welcome, Dr. Reid. I'll call you back soon with more information and you can speak with Gene then."  
"Okay. Goodbye."  
"Goodbye."

Reid closed the phone. He didn't know how on earth music therapy was going to help his migraines. Of the millions of topics he knew about, this was one of which he knew very little. He made a mental note to go to the library and do some research. He glanced at his watch. If he hurried, he could get on the Metro before rush hour.

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

Teagan walked to her car and unloaded all of her items into the backseat. She loved her car. This had been the first "splurge" of her life. When she saw the little purple Volkswagen Beetle on the car lot, she knew it had to be hers. Sure, it wasn't the most practical car in the world, and the gas mileage was terrible, but she thought it was wonderful.  
She exited the parking lot and started the drive home. Traffic was going to be a bitch, she could already tell. And rush hour hadn't even begun yet. On days like this, she missed the small town in Georgia she called home. Sure, D.C. was beautiful and there was always something to do, but she missed the slow pace of Southern life. She turned on the radio. _There's gotta be some Luke Bryan on one of these stations_, she thought. She searched and scanned until she heard the first few beats of "That's My Kinda Night". She turned the volume up as loud as she could stand and sang along.  
Teagan pulled in the driveway of her small apartment she shared with her best friend, Lily Weston. The two had been best friends since their freshman year of college. Lily was in her first year of teaching at Potomac High School in Dumfries, Virginia, a few miles out of D.C. Lily taught 10th grade biology. Both girls had moved to D.C. two years ago after graduation in search of their dream jobs. At first they were temps at various positions and struggled to make it, but finally both had their dream jobs and were living in a decent apartment. Granted it wasn't in the best neighborhood, but Teagan could live with that. She grabbed her keys and unlocked the door. Teagan's 6 year old West Highland White Terrier, McDuffie came running towards her.

"Duffers! Whatcha doin' boy?" She asked as the dog enthusiastically licked her face. "Calm down, you crazy dog! Oh my goodness!" McDuffie was jumping everywhere and demanding attention. She ruffled his fur and then reached behind him for his leash. "Let's go for a walk, buddy!" McDuffie ran in circles. "Slow down. Sit! Sit, McDuffie!" McDuffie sat. She hooked the leash on his collar and took him outside for a walk.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thanks to my one reviewer! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Just in case anybody is curious, I am a music therapy student. If you have any questions about my career field, please PM me. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Again, if Reid is a little OOC, please let me know. He's a hard character to write. And I hope Teagan is not a Mary Jane or Mary Sue or whatever. Please read and review, folks! X0X0-Fireflies Flash**

**P.S. I do NOT own Criminal Minds. If I did, Maeve would be alive and she and Spencer would be having baby geniuses. **

**Two Days Later**

Dr. Spencer Reid found a seat on the Metro. He couldn't believe his luck. He never found a seat. He scheduled his first music therapy session before work, so he got on the Metro before the morning rush. The only people in the compartment with him were a woman nursing a baby and an elderly woman who appeared to be knitting a scarf. Spencer crossed his long lanky legs and stared down at his socks. He was wearing a purple and green argyle sock on his left foot and a black and white striped sock on his right foot. Morgan sometimes teased him about his mismatched socks, but Spencer just liked wearing socks that didn't match. He reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a book on Quantum physics and began to read.

"Excuse me, young man," he heard a woman say. Spencer glanced up from his book. The woman who had spoken to him was the elderly lady knitting.  
"Yes?" Spencer replied.  
"Are you really reading that fast?" The woman asked.

"Well, our conscious minds can process sixteen bits of information per second. Our unconscious, however, can process eleven million." The woman looked at him blankly, blinking rapidly. Spencer sighed. "Yes. I am actually reading this fast." The elderly woman continued to stare. He ignored her and went back to his book. He wished sometimes that people understood him. His team did the best they could, but they didn't really understand the way his brain worked. _Maeve understood me,_ he thought. He glanced up quickly again and looked at the woman nursing her baby. He wondered what it would be like if he and Maeve had had children. Would they be smart? He thought back to something Emily had asked him once. Would they be baby geniuses? Maeve, he was sure would have made a wonderful mother, but would he have been a great father? He wasn't great with children, although he loved his godson Henry. Sometimes he wished that he could meet someone that could accept him for who and what he was, but then he thought about what he'd be bringing into that someone's life. All of his baggage. He was so broken, and he knew it. He rarely spoke to anyone about his inner demons. Since Maeve died, he had considered going back to using Dilaudid, but he thought that would be an insult to her memory. Those memories of her were all he had left. Why would he cloud them with some drug? Besides, he had been clean far too long for that. He fingered the medallion he always kept in his pocket, which was a constant reminder of his sobriety. He hoped that these music therapy sessions would help his migraines. _Maybe Dr. Brubeck's right. Maybe I do dream them up. Maybe I'm crazy. Hell, I probably deserve this pain. Maeve would be alive if it wasn't for me. _He functioned because he had to, but he was basically just an empty shell of himself.

Rossi had told him to dream and allow that dream to "just happen". Last night he dreamed that dream again. He got to hold her and it was wonderful. He wished he had held her when she was alive. He wished every day he could hold her in his arms and see her smile at him, but he never would. The Metro came to a halt, and Spencer exited in a brisk manner, thinking about Maeve and what might have been.  
**CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

Teagan was going to be late. Again. Where the hell was her shoe? How did she always manage to lose just one shoe? Not a pair, just one shoe. She had looked everywhere.  
"Hey, Lil, have you seen my shoe anywhere?"  
"No," the green-eyed brunette replied, poking her head out of her bedroom. "What shoe are you missing now?"  
"My maroon pump."  
"Did McDuffie take it again?" Teagan pondered this for a second. McDuffie had a thing for her shoes, particularly that pair.

"I checked his bed already."  
"Teags, I swear if your skinny ass wasn't attached to you, you'd lose it."  
"Ugh." She rolled her eyes. "Just help me find it! I'm going to be late again!"  
"Okay. Okay," Lily held up her arms in a mock surrender. "I'll help you look. Never mind that I'm going to be late too," she added.  
"Shut up." Lily stuck her tongue out at her. Lily surveyed the room quickly spotting the shoe in the one place she knew Teagan hadn't looked.  
"Um, Teags," Lily said. "Look under the couch." Teagan took a quick glance and there was her missing shoe, the toe peeking out from under the couch. Suddenly Teagan remembered she had been putting on her shoes when her phone rang. She must have just dropped her shoe and it somehow got knocked under the couch.  
"Shit! I swear to God I just looked there. Thanks, Lily."  
"Uh huh," Lily replied. "Just go get your damn shoe."

**CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

Spencer exited the elevator. _Am I even on the right floor?_ He took a quick glance around and saw a sign that indicated that the clinic was to the left. He looked around once he reached the clinic. The door was locked, but the lights were on. _Hopefully someone's in. I just want to get this over with. _The door opened and there stood a man who Spencer could only describe as sloppy. The man was rather stout, with what Morgan called a "beer gut". The dress shirt he wore was ill-fitted and too tight, accentuating his rather pronounced stomach. His hair was blond, long, much longer than when Spencer had grown his hair out, and slightly greasy. He even had an earring in each ear. _That's against hospital dress code. I wonder how he gets away with it_.

"Hello, are you Dr. Reid?" The man asked.  
"Yes. Are you Gene Richardson?"  
"Yes. Nice to finally meet you." Gene stuck out his hand. Spencer shook it rather tentatively. Spencer hated shaking hands. He knew it was a common way of greeting someone, but it spread so many germs.

"So, um, what are we going to do?" Spencer asked. He had gone by the library and checked out several books and academic journals pertaining to music therapy, but he knew each therapist had different techniques they used for clients, depending on their diagnosis.

"Well, I looked at your chart…." _Oh boy. Here we go_. "and every doctor you've seen said your stress levels were unusually high." _Oh. Well, that's not what I expected_.

"Well, yes. My job is very stressful, but I feel like I handle it rather well."

"Come in, Dr. Reid and have a seat." Gene gestured to a couch. Spencer sat and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and placed it next to him. "You were saying?" Gene closed the door.

"My job is um, pretty stressful."  
"Yes, I read you were a profiler. What's that?"  
"I am part of a team that studies the behavior of serial killers. We study human behavior too." Gene looked slightly shocked.

"That sounds fascinating, but scary."  
"Yes. It's a little of both."  
"So I'm going to assume that you don't work normal hours."  
"No."

"Well, Dr. Reid, I also saw that you claim to have terrible migraines, but doctors cannot find a known cause. Is that correct?"  
"Yes."  
"I think they might be stress induced. Now I know I'm not a doctor, but I think you may not realize you're stressed when you actually are. We're going to try some guided relaxation exercises today, okay?"  
"Okay. What's that?"  
"I'm going to put on some soothing music. You're going to close your eyes and just listen to my voice and the music. I know it sounds weird, but I think it will help."  
"This is considered therapy?" Spencer asked rather dubiously.  
"Yes. I know it doesn't sound very professional, but I happen to think it will help. Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes."  
"Okay then. Close your eyes, Dr. Reid."

"It's Spencer."

"Okay. Close your eyes, Spencer." Gene walked over to the CD player that was in the room and put on a CD. Spencer recognized the song immediately. It was a Sarabande by Bach. He wasn't really a fan of Bach. He liked Beethoven better. And Mozart. Definitely Mozart.

"Okay. Focus on your breathing. Deep breaths." Spencer inhaled, then exhaled. Gene instructed him to do that for a few more times. "Tighten your facial muscles." Spencer tightened them. "Now relax." Gene instructed him to tighten and relax almost every muscle in his body beginning with his face to his toes, all while playing different pieces by Bach. "Okay. You can open your eyes now." Spencer opened them. Gene was right. He felt so relaxed. He even thought he might have dozed off at some point.

"How do you feel?"

"You're right, I do feel relaxed."

"Good."  
"I'm curious. How long did this take?"  
"About 30 minutes."  
"Really?" Spencer was astounded. It felt like it had only taken five minutes.  
"Yep. Now, we're out of time for today, but come back tomorrow, and we'll try something different, okay?"  
"Wow. Okay. Thanks so much." Spencer was still in shock. He hadn't been this relaxed in quite a while.  
"I'm glad you're feeling relaxed. Keep it cool, man." Gene got up and showed him the door. Spencer left the clinic feeling indescribably calm and for once, he wasn't thinking about Maeve.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, everyone! I got so many views and 7 reviews. Thanks to those who reviewed. I appreciate it! I am getting ready for finals, but I can't concentrate! I managed to write this during my many breaks. I hope you enjoy! Again, if you have any questions about something you find interesting or don't understand, please PM me. Also, please tell me if Spencer seems too OOC. I try to do the best I can, but he's a hard character to write. Read and review, folks!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. If I did, Maeve would still be alive!

**The Next Day**

Spencer exited the elevator and headed in the direction of the clinic. The door was ajar, but he couldn't see anyone inside. He stood there for a moment, deciding if he should go in or not. He knocked on the door.

"H-Hello? Is anybody in here?" At first, he didn't hear anything, but then he heard a muffled sound that sounded like someone calling for help, followed by a loud clatter. His profiler instincts kicked in and he rushed in the room, automatically reaching for a gun that wasn't there. A door that led to a closet in the room was wide open and there was a tiny woman standing on what appeared to be a wooden box. She appeared to have been reaching for a basket of handheld instruments on the uppermost shelf, but ended up knocking them off, causing the clatter. Spencer breathed a sigh of relief. The woman looked at him with a look of complete and utter embarrassment, her cheeks turning bright red.  
"Are you okay?" Spencer asked. To his surprise, the woman burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" he asked, confused.  
"Give—give me a minute." She was practically cackling. After a few seconds, she stopped laughing. "So sorry."  
"Are you okay?" he asked again, furrowing his eyebrows. This woman confused him.

"Yeah. I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz," she drawled in her Southern accent. She stared down at the instruments that littered the floor. "What a mess!" She carefully hopped down off the wooden box, trying not to disturb any more instruments. She began to gather up shakers, bells, and maracas into the basket. Spencer went to help her.  
"What were you trying to reach?" Spencer asked.  
"I needed some shakers," she stated.

"And you thought you could reach them standing on this_ cajón_?" Spencer asked, pointing to what he had originally thought was a wooden box.  
"Excuse me?"  
"A _cajón_, also known as a Cajun Drum. The _cajón_ was developed in coastal Perú during the periods of slavery in Perú. It is associated with several Afro-Peruvian genres. The instrument reached a peak in popularity by 1850, and by the end of the 19th century, _cajón_ players were experimenting with the design of the instrument by bending some of the planks in the _cajón_'s body to alter the instrument's patterns of sound vibration," he stated. The girl stared at him.  
"You sound like a dictionary," she replied, crinkling her nose. "How do you know all that?"  
"I seem to know a lot of useless information," he frowned.  
"That's not useless. I was just surprised that you know what a _cajón _is. Not a lot of people do. And even though I've studied music, I didn't know that the drum originated in Perú. I feel like I should study more on my instrument origins now." She beamed at him. "Can you help me put this back?" She pointed to the basket of handheld instruments. He nodded.  
"Is Gene here today?" He asked, after he placed the basket on the shelf.

"No, he's in meetings all day. Didn't you see the sign on the door?"  
"There wasn't a sign on the door."  
"What?!" She whined, making the word almost two syllables long. He noticed her accent became more pronounced when she was excited or flustered. "I swore I put one up there."

"There's nothing up there." She walked over to the door, and sure enough, there was nothing.

"Well, that sucks. So much for being organized today!" She threw her arms up in the air dramatically and sighed.  
"Well, I was supposed to meet Gene for a session today, but since he's not here, I'll just leave."  
"Well, luckily for you, I'm supposed to cover for Gene today. I have all his charts and session plans over there." She pointed to a neat stack of folders on the desk. "Let me guess. You're Dr. Reid, correct?"

"Yes." She walked over to the stack of folders, shuffling them until she found his name.  
"Okay. So it says here you have migraines, but they have no known cause. The doctors think they may be psychosomatic, but Gene thinks they could be stress related."  
"Yes."  
"Gene also has listed that you worked on guided relaxation for your first session."  
"Yes."  
"Okay. Well, Gene would like to have you try out the Somatron."  
"What's that?" He asked.

"You'll see," she replied. "I'm Teagan Wellers, by the way. Nice to meet you, Dr. Reid." She stuck out her hand. Spencer was speechless for a minute. How had his genius brain not been able to put two and two together? Of course! She was the other music therapist on staff. After about a minute, he shook her hand tentatively. Her tiny hand felt very warm in his.

"This way." She showed him to a room that contained a chair and a sound system. "Here is the Somatron! Ta-da!"  
"It looks like a recliner," Spencer replied.  
"It is, but it will vibrate to music. The vibrations are supposed to be soothing. You can sit down now if you'd like, while I get this hooked up." She beamed at him again, before turning to plug in various chords into the sound system. She grabbed a CD from a box of cases on the floor.  
"Can I pick the music?" he asked.  
"Sure. What would you like?"  
"Can you play Beethoven? Specifically, the Moonlight Sonata?"  
"I think we have that," she grinned. She fished in the case before finding the CD. "Ah. And all three movements. Good. You ready?" She asked, as she put the CD in the player.  
"Um, yeah." The opening notes began playing and he began to feel the chair vibrate beneath him. It wasn't like a massage chair, which Garcia had forced him to try out at the mall one time. No, the vibrations occurred with the rhythm of the music. He'd never felt anything like this in his life. _This is so soothing, _he thought.

He had been teaching himself to play the piano since that case with Sammy. Sammy was a boy with autism who lived in Lafayette Parish, Lousiana. The boy's parents had been missing and Spencer had been the one to figure out the clues Sammy was trying to tell the team when Sammy played the piano. Spencer had never played any instrument before then, but felt like it came naturally to him. After the case was over, he went and bought an electronic keyboard. He didn't practice as much as he would like, but he did enjoy it. He closed his eyes as the vibrations relaxed him.

CMCMCMCMCM  
"Hey, Dr. Reid! Did you go to sleep on me?" Spencer awoke with a jolt. Teagan was standing at the door with a stack of papers in her hand.  
"I-I suppose I did."  
"No problem. It's supposed to relax you. I guess it did." She giggled. "I have a survey for you to fill out." She handed him a sheet of paper. "It's an assessment to see what your stress levels were like before you came and how they are now." She handed him a pen.

"Thanks." He took the pen and began filling out the survey. He hadn't really felt stressed when he came in. "Um, I don't know what my stress levels were when I came in."  
"Just put non-applicable then." He nodded and continued to fill out the survey. He felt relaxed now. The sessions really seemed to help. So far, Spencer had not had a migraine, which he honestly couldn't tell if it was from therapy or not. Sometimes he could go months without one. Other times, he could go days. However, when he slept last night, he didn't dream. He didn't dream of Maeve. He didn't have his usual recurring nightmares. He just slept. He awoke today feeling refreshed. He couldn't remember a night where he slept so long and so peacefully. Although he wished he could dream that dream about Maeve again. Dreams and memories were all he had left of her. Like he had told Rossi, he felt the sweetest relief imaginable when he dreamed of her. For the first few months after her death, he couldn't sleep because he dreamed of her. He knew that if he dreamed about her, he'd be lost to his dreams. That was the only way he could see her. He could have had a chance at true happiness if she were still alive. He frowned.  
"You okay?" Teagan asked, looking concerned. "You look upset."  
"Um, no. I'm fine," Spencer he said quickly. He hurriedly filled out the rest of the survey. "Are we done?"

"Pretty much. Gene should be back tomorrow."  
"Okay. Thank you." He grabbed his messenger bag from the floor.  
"You're welcome, Dr. Reid."  
"It's Spencer."  
"You're welcome, Spencer. Have a great day," she said, beaming at him while she showed him the door. He left the room quickly, without even looking at her.

CMCMCMCMCM

Teagan sat at her desk typing up an assessment on another client. Gene had to come back tomorrow, or she was going to freak out. She couldn't handle all of his clients and her clients in one day. It was simply too much work. She thought about Spencer. She found him to be very attractive, but she knew she shouldn't be attracted to a client. There were too many lines that shouldn't be crossed and that was definitely one of them. _But he technically isn't my client. _She smiled to herself._ He seemed really worried when he left_. _I wonder what that was all about_. She had glanced over his file again after he left. She saw that his mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, but she also knew he was well past the age for onset in males for schizophrenia. She thought that must be why all the doctors thought his migraines were psychosomatic. She also saw that he was a profiler for the FBI. She had no idea what that was, so she Googled it on her lunch break. After she saw what the job required, she had to agree with Gene. His migraines had to be stress-related.  
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Spencer sat at his desk in the bullpen working on paperwork. J.J. was at her desk and Morgan at his. He reached over and took a sip of the tea he had purchased downstairs. _Yuck!_ He crinkled his nose in distaste. He missed drinking coffee. He practically lived off of it, but Maeve had suggested that might be a trigger for his migraines, and to swap to green tea or chamomile tea. He drank it, but it wasn't what he preferred. After Maeve's death, he went back to coffee, drinking enough to keep him up at night so he wouldn't have to sleep.

As a result of either the extreme sleep deprivation or caffeine, he didn't know which; he had the worst migraine he had ever experienced. He didn't remember much, but the pain had been so intense. It had felt like someone was beating him over the head with a sledgehammer. And the nausea. Oh God, the nausea. He remembered vomiting violently into the toilet before blacking out. He awoke on the bathroom floor hours later, covered in vomit and blood from where he had hit his head. The migraine had passed fortunately, but the spot he hit when blacking out had throbbed painfully for days afterwards. He hadn't had coffee since. He took another sip of tea and went back to his paperwork.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! I've had so much fun writing this chapter. Spencer is about to get less depressing. Thanks to Sue1313 for reviewing! You were absolutely right. Agents do have their guns on them at all times, but Spencer doesn't strike me as the type who would. He's more comfortable with his gun, but he doesn't strike me as the type of guy who carries a gun unless he's on duty. Also, he was remembering a past migraine that he had after massive amounts of caffeine and sleep deprivation. Anyway, read and review folks! It's the only way I'm going to get any better! Again, let me know if Spencer is too OOC or if Teagan is annoying.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. If I did, Maeve would still be alive.**

Spencer walked into his bedroom, taking his messenger bag off his shoulder and placing it on the floor next to him. He looked up and there was Maeve, sitting on his bed. He was speechless.

"Hi Spencer," Maeve said, smiling at him.

"Hi," he replied. "What are you doing here?" He smiled. She was really here. He strode across the room to the bed and sat down next to her, taking her hand.

"I came to see you." She leaned forward and tilted her head towards his, her lips barely brushing his. He blushed deeply and closed his eyes before leaning in for another kiss. It was intoxicating, the feel of her lips on his. He wanted to keep kissing her. He opened his eyes to look into her face when suddenly he realized it wasn't Maeve he was kissing. It was Diane. He was back in that room, tied to a chair and Diane was kissing him. He felt disgusting. He didn't want to kiss her. He didn't love her. He loved Maeve. There was Maeve, sitting across from him, watching this sickening ordeal. He felt nauseous as Diane stuck her tongue in his mouth. He hated that kind of kissing. He wished that this would be over soon. He tried to send a signal with his eyes to Maeve that he did not want this. No. He really loved her. He didn't mean it when he said he didn't love her. Diane stared at him before pulling away. He knew then that she knew that this was all a lie.  
"Liar!" Diane said. "Liar!" Her words echoed throughout his head. He felt dizzy and the room began to spin. He watched as Diane lifted the gun to her head.  
"WAIT!" he yelled. He watched as they both fell to floor in a pool of blood, his beloved Maeve lost to him forever.

"Noooooooooo!" He screamed as he awoke in a cold sweat. He shuddered. He glanced at the clock. It said 3:00 am in bright red letters. He knew he wasn't going to go back to sleep anytime soon. He sat up and swung his legs over to the side of the bed, where he cradled his head in his hands. When was this going to stop? He couldn't keep living like this. Why did he have to re-live that terrible moment night after night? His mouth felt painfully dry. He stood up so he could get a quick drink of water. Upon standing, the whole room began to spin. _Oh no. Not again._ He paused for a second, hoping that the dizziness would go away. _Nope_. He felt the all-too-familiar pain begin in his temples and move to the back of his head. _Oh God_. His stomach lurched. He was going to be sick. He stumbled into the bathroom and gripped the side of the toilet, his head pounding like a timpani. _Make it stop_. He winced as his stomach gave another lurch. He vomited violently and rested his head on the cool tile of the floor. The cold tile gave little relief. The lights in the bathroom were much too bright. He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the light. His head throbbed again. He was going to be sick again. He crawled back to the toilet while his stomach gave another unsettling lurch. He vomited again and his head throbbed more violently than before. He grabbed the lip of the tub for support and opened his medicine cabinet, squinting to block out the light. _Too bright_. He found the B12 and Magnesium tablets. He tried opening the bottles, but his vision was beginning to blur. He knew it wouldn't help anyway. It didn't last time. He then settled back on the floor and curled in the fetal position while his head pounded and throbbed. The room spun again and he blacked out.

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Spencer awoke hours later on the bathroom floor to his phone ringing in the next room. The pain in his head had lessened to a dull ache. He stood carefully and walked into his bedroom to answer his phone.

"H-Hello?" His voice cracked. "Ahem. Hello?"  
"Spence, you sound awful," J.J. stated. "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah. I'm fine," he replied.  
"You don't sound fine."  
"I just woke up." He faked a very loud yawn.  
"You did?" J.J. asked dubiously. "You're nearly an hour late. Hotch is pissed." He glanced at the clock. It was nearly 10 am. He had been passed out for over six hours on the bathroom floor. He cursed inwardly.  
"I'll be there as soon as I can. I must have slept through my alarm. Bye J.J." He flipped the phone shut before she could respond. He rushed to the bathroom, but the room began to spin again. He gripped the sides of the sink and dry heaved. There was nothing left in his stomach but bile. He showered and changed in less than 15 minutes. He quickly grabbed his messenger bag and left to board the Metro.

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Teagan was very busy on her day off. She had already dropped McDuffie off at the groomer's; she had picked up Lily's and her dry cleaning, and right now she was in need of a coffee break. She was so glad she drove instead of walking. It was only October, but it was very cold, colder than it would be back in Georgia at this time of year.

She managed to find a parking spot directly in front of the Starbucks, which she considered to be very lucky, especially at this time of day. She stepped out of the coffee shop, holding a steaming cup of pumpkin spice latte. She looked and saw an oddly familiar man walking down the street. It was Dr. Reid. He looked terrible. He was paler than usual and in desperate need of a shave. The circles under his eyes were more pronounced and he looked like he was in pain.

"Dr. Reid!" She called out, waving at him. He didn't respond but kept walking. She called out again. "Spencer!" He turned around.

"Oh, hi, Teagan," he responded.  
"You don't look like you feel well," she stated. "Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine."  
"Are you sure?" Spencer glared at her. He wished she would go away. He was already late for work and he felt like hell.  
"Yes," he snapped. He watched as her face fell slightly and then she composed herself. He was being rude. It wasn't her fault he felt bad. She didn't know he had a migraine. She was just being friendly. He shouldn't have snapped at her. "Look, I'm sorry, Teagan, but it's been a very bad morning. I'm late for work and…." his voice trailed off. He didn't want to tell her about his migraine.  
"Do you need a ride?" She asked, beaming. "My car's right here." She gestured to her car, a purple Volkswagen Beetle.

"No thank you, I'll be to the Metro station in a few minutes."  
"That's two blocks from here and it's freezing outside. You already look like you don't feel well. Are you sure I can't drive you?" Spencer stood and thought for a minute. She was right. It would take over an hour if he took the Metro, plus walking distance. And it was cold. But if she were to take him to work, he knew the team would never let him hear the end of it. He pondered both options. The cold won. His head was still aching.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes, you silly goose! I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. Now come on before we both catch our deaths out here!" She took a sip of coffee and rushed to the driver's door. He opened the passenger door and slung his messenger bag across his lap. His head bumped the ceiling. He was too tall for this. He reached around the sides of the seat to find a way to recline the seat so he could be more comfortable. He pressed a button, but it only sent the seat forward.  
"Need help?" Teagan giggled as she slid into the car.  
"Yes, please. Which button makes the seat go back?"  
"Here. Sit forward for a minute." He did and it caused his head to throb. He winced, hoping she wouldn't notice. "The button is faulty, so you just kind of have to push the seat." She pushed the back of the seat hard and he heard it go back with a loud thunk. "Sorry about that." He sat back and it had adjusted perfectly. "That better?" He nodded, the motion making his head swim.  
"Thanks."  
"No problem, Dr. Re-I mean Spencer." She beamed at him. "Now which way to Quantico?" He gave her directions as she zipped through traffic. He looked at the dashboard where she had a flip-flop hanging from the rearview mirror. He pushed it with his index finger making it swing. "You like my air freshener?" she asked, giggling.  
"It's certainly interesting," he replied, the pain in his head now moving back to a dull ache. "Take this next exit."  
"So, are you the medical doctor for your team?" She asked randomly.  
"Huh."  
"You're a doctor. So are you like the medical doctor for the team?"  
"Oh, no!" He chuckled slightly. "I'm not a medical doctor. I have PhD's in mathematics, chemistry, and engineering and B.A's in psychology and sociology." _Multiple PhD's? Impressive. How smart was this guy?_

"That's impressive. How old are you anyway?" she blurted out, without thinking. _God, I'm such a doofus_.  
"30."  
"But how? I mean that would make you a-"  
"Genius. With an I.Q. of 187, before you ask your next question." She gaped at him for a few moments.  
"I'm sorry. That's rude. It's just, I don't know what to talk about now. I mean, you must know everything!" He laughed.  
"I don't know everything."  
"Hmm. I don't like math or chemistry by the way." She crinkled her nose.  
"But music is basically math. How can you hate math?"  
"Contrary to popular belief, music is not just math. There's theory and analysis and-"

"They're all composed or derive from math." She rolled her eyes.  
"But it's basic math! Speaking of, do you mind if I put on some music?" His head had almost ceased throbbing. Maybe it would be okay.

"Um, sure."  
"Here, you pick." She handed him a purple iPod. Her car was purple, her iPod was purple. It wasn't really hard for him to determine that her favorite color was purple.  
"Um, uh.." he stammered. He had never used one of these before. "How do you turn it on?" He blushed. _This is so embarrassing_.

"Oh. Here." She hit a button while she drove. "What kind of music do you like? Besides Beethoven?"  
"Mozart."  
"And?"  
"My mom used to listen to Bob Dylan. I listen to mostly classical music. Beethoven and Mozart are my two favorites."  
"Hmm. Interesting" she grinned.  
"What?"  
"That's just interesting. Did you ever listen to Bob Dylan or was that just something your mom listened to?"  
"I've heard his music a few times."  
"Do you know "Make You Feel my Love"?" She asked.  
"Yes."  
"Did you know it's been covered by several different singers in several different genres?"

"Yes."  
"Do you know who Adele is?"  
"I have no idea who that is," he replied. She pressed a few more buttons as she took an exit. He wished she wouldn't do that. It was so dangerous. But he was grateful for the ride. Soft piano filled the speakers and a woman's voice sang the opening verses. He liked the way her voice sounded. Her voice was earthy and real. He knew the words too. "Shelter from the Storm" and "Make You Feel My Love" were his mother's favorite songs. His mother would play Bob Dylan sometimes when he was younger. He smiled to himself. Another voice joined in, singing harmony, interrupting his thoughts. It was Teagan. She was singing along softly as she drove. Her voice was beautiful too. It wasn't as earthy as Adele's but it was clear and pure. She stole a quick glance at him.  
"Sorry." She blushed.  
"No. That sounded quite lovely." He blurted out. It was now his turn to blush.  
"Aw, thank you. Do you sing?"  
"No. Definitely not." He replied, remembering the time the team had sung karaoke at Rossi favorite bar before it closed forever.  
"Oh come on! Everyone can sing."  
"Not me. Turn here."  
"I just don't believe you." She turned into the lot. He told her where to go next. The song had long since ended and they sat in silence for a few minutes. She pulled up next to his building. Morgan was outside. He cursed inwardly.  
"Thanks for the ride, Teagan."  
"Anytime, Spencer." She smiled at him. "Do I need to come back to pick you up?"  
"No. One of my team members can take me back."  
"Okay. Bye!"  
"Bye." He watched as she left the parking lot. He turned around to see a grinning Morgan.  
"Whoo! You go, Pretty Boy!" Morgan said, slapping him on the back.  
"It's not like that-" he started to reply before Morgan interrupted him.  
"Overslept, my ass!" Morgan winked at him, then looking at him up and down. "And by the looks of it, it was a rough night!"  
"No! It's not like that." He felt his headache starting to return. "She's just…" _What was she? Not his therapist. Not quite a friend._

"She's just what?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know."  
"You don't know? What? Please don't tell me Dr. Reid had a one night stand!"  
"No! I just…" he didn't want to tell Morgan he was seeing a therapist. _But Teagan wasn't his therapist._ "I just met her a few days ago."  
"What does she do?" Morgan asked as they walked into the bullpen together.

"She's a music therapist at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital."  
"What in the hell is that?"  
"Music therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals."  
"Oh," Morgan replied. "So she just plays some music?"  
"No, not exactly. After assessing the strengths and needs of each client, she provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing, moving to, or listening to music."  
"Interesting." Morgan sat at his desk. "How do you know all this?"  
"I did some research."  
"Figures." Morgan rolled his eyes as Spencer started to sit down. "Nuh-uh, Pretty Boy. Hotch wants to see you in his office." Spencer groaned, his headache was returning, but it wasn't as intense as last night. He walked over to Hotch's office and knocked on the door.  
"Come in," Hotch answered. Spencer entered the room, and closed the door. Hotch was sitting at his desk, filling out paperwork  
"Uh, Morgan said you wanted to see me."  
"Yes," Hotch replied. "Why were you late?"  
"I overslept," he lied smoothly.

"You don't usually oversleep."

"There's a first time for everything, I suppose," he replied.  
"Reid, what's really going on? You've been acting differently lately. Is this about Maeve?"

"No, I'm fine. I just overslept. That's all." Hotch shot him a look that said he knew differently.  
"Reid?" He sighed. He knew he couldn't keep lying to Hotch. Hotch was always able to figure out when he was lying.  
"I had another migraine last night. I passed out on the bathroom floor and my phone woke me up, but I'm feeling better today."  
"I thought those migraines had stopped."  
"They had, for a while, but now they're back."  
"Have you seen a doctor?"  
"Yes. They all seem to think they're psychosomatic, but one doctor has referred me to music therapy. It's been helping up until last night. The therapists seem to think my migraines are stress-related. Please don't tell the team. I don't want them to think I can't do my job."  
"I won't, Reid. This will stay between us." Hotch nodded, and he knew he was dismissed. He walked back into bullpen to his desk. As soon as he sat down, Garcia rushed over to his desk.  
"So," the bubbly blonde said, "Teagan Wellers. Music therapist at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, 25 years old from Milledgeville, Georgia, the hometown of Flannery O'Connor. She has an adorable little Westie named McDuffie! She's not very adventurous, but she seems nice. You could have not picked a better girlfriend for you, Reid." _So he was right. She was from Georgia._  
"Um, she's not my girlfriend and why were you checking her out?"  
"Babycakes," Garcia replied, "I'm not letting anybody into our lives without checking them out first. I'm sorry. Plus, you can't lie to me. You like her."  
"I do not!" Spencer said, exasperated. "I don't even know her that well!"  
"You at least think she's pretty," Garcia hedged. He didn't respond. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck and swallowed. "Aha!"  
"She's nice looking," Spencer replied.  
"Nice looking?" Garcia replied. "That girl is adorable!" Spencer thought for a second. She was sort of cute with her twinkling blue eyes and open smile. She smiled often and at pretty much everything. She was also very clumsy, a little absent minded, and a bit flighty, but in an adorable sort of way. But he still loved Maeve.

"She's nice looking," Spencer stated again.  
"Uh-huh," Garcia winked.

"All right, Baby Girl," Morgan said, pulling her away. "Leave Pretty Boy alone. He's had a rough night." Spencer looked down at his paperwork. He did have a rough night, but not in the way they were indicating. His headache was bearable now. He grabbed his pen and started filling out the necessary forms, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was J.J.

"Come on, Spence," she said. "We've got a case." He stood up and walked into the conference room, waiting to be briefed on the next case.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Oh my goodness! Finals are OVER! I feel like I can breathe again. This is a short chapter and I just wrote it tonight. I've had a small case of writer's block, but I think I've figured out how I'm going to work up to the actual plot. I don't blame you if you found the past two chapters boring. I PROMISE they're going to get better! Anyway, thanks for reading. Music and the Genius has gotten over 1,000 views! Please, good, bad, or indifferent, just review. They are some of the most helpful feedback I'll get and I really appreciate them! Keep reading! XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

**A Week Later**

Teagan stepped into the elevator with her guitar strapped to her back, a purse on her right shoulder, and a cup of coffee in her hand. She took a swig of coffee. _Delicious._ She smiled to herself. It was then she realized she wasn't alone on the elevator. She looked up and saw Spencer standing towards the back, rocking back and forth on his heels. He looked much better than the last time she saw him, although those dark circles under his eyes were still very apparent.  
"Good morning, Spencer," she said.  
"Oh, hi, Teagan!" he responded.  
"Going to see Gene?" He nodded.  
"I haven't been able to go in almost a week. I've been out of town working on a case."  
"Did you catch the bad guy?"  
"Yeah," he replied._ How did she know about his job? Oh wait. She probably read he was a profiler in his case file._ He looked at her up and down, his brow furrowing slightly. _Is he checking me out?_ "Um, Teagan, I hate to tell you this, but your shoes don't match." _Nope. Definitely not._ She looked down._ Holy crap! He was right!_ A few years ago, she had purchased two pairs of boots, one black pair and one brown pair. They were the same style and same brand. Somehow in getting dressed today, she must have put on one of each pair.  
"Oh my God!" Her cheeks flushed. "This is certainly embarrassing!"  
"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you," Spencer said as they both exited the elevator.  
"You didn't embarrass me. I'm the doofus who wore two different shoes. You just pointed it out." She looked down at his feet. "However, you might be wearing matching shoes, but your socks don't match, so I guess we both did something silly today."

"I never wear matching socks."

"Why?"  
"I don't know," he replied.

"You're a genius and you don't know why you don't wear matching socks?"

"Firstly, I don't think intelligence can be accurately measured. Secondly, I just like wearing mismatched socks. No particular reason. It's just nobody has ever asked me why I wear them before." His brow furrowed again.

"Hmm," she replied. "Well, I'm glad I was the first person to ask. Come on, let's go see Gene, shall we?"

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Spencer left the clinic feeling very relaxed. Gene had wanted him to use the Somatron again. He hadn't been able to sleep soundly the past few nights. He always had the same recurring nightmare about Maeve. Fortunately, his headache had passed two days into the case, and he hadn't had another one since. He added it up in his head. He had not had a headache for roughly 6 days, 144 hours, 8640 minutes, and 518,400 seconds. Except for the nightmares, he was sleeping better as well. But he had never been a heavy sleeper. It was so difficult for him to keep his mind from wandering. There was just so much to think about! Although, lately he thought about Maeve more and more. Sometimes, like now, he thought that he would be alone forever. He just couldn't picture being with anyone else. Maeve had been his equal in almost every way, especially intellectually. She would have been the mother of his children. He was just going to have to accept the fact that the closest he was going to get to ever having a child of his own was Henry. Last night, before they got off the plane, J.J. had asked him over to brunch Sunday. Maybe he could teach Henry some magic tricks. He smiled at the thought.

He then thought about his earlier encounter with Teagan. He chuckled slightly. She was the clumsiest, quirkiest, strangest, most scatter-brained woman he had ever met. How someone left the house without checking to make sure their shoes matched was beyond him. He also meant to thank her again for the ride she gave him a week ago. He had really appreciated it, even if he had gotten teased from the rest of the team. As if on cue, she stepped out of her office and headed towards the elevator, with a basket of hand-held instruments and her ever-present guitar.

"Hi," she said. "How'd your session go?"

"Um, well," he said.

"Good."

"Teagan, um, thanks for giving me a ride to work last week."  
"No problem, Spencer," she replied as they both boarded the elevator. "Are you feeling better? You looked a little sick the last time I saw you."  
"I'm feeling much better. Again, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I wasn't feeling well, and I was late-"

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you're feeling better," she said, interrupting him. "I'll see you around, okay? I'm late for my next session!" She rushed off the elevator leaving him standing there mid-sentence.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I'm back! Been on a little break. We lost Internet for a few days. I'm so shocked by all the views and reviews! Thanks! It means so much. The reviews are what I live for, so keep reading and reviewing, please. I'm on break for nearly a month, so I'll try to update as much as I can. I wrote this chapter the other night on a whim. I hope you like it! XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

Teagan walked into her apartment later that afternoon and was greeted by McDuffie. He began dancing around her ankles and begging for attention.  
"Hey, buddy! Ready to go for a walk? Just let me change my shoes!" She reached down to pet him. He barked in response and followed her into her bedroom. She looked down at her mismatched shoes. Nobody else had noticed her mismatched shoes today but Spencer. _He's such an odd duck._ She thought._ But a very cute duck, nonetheless._ She loved the way he got flushed when she teased him today. He was a bit awkward, but so was she. She also noticed he always seemed to be really upset about something.  
She grabbed his leash and they started out the apartment to the park, which was a few blocks away. McDuffie always enjoyed his afternoon walk. She hoped he wasn't too miserable. Back home in Georgia, when she lived with her parents, he had a sprawling fenced-in back yard to run in. He'd chase squirrels and romp around the yard, getting completely dirty. Now that she lived in Fredericksburg in an apartment, there was no way he could run to his full content. Instead, they went on daily walks and he was able to release some of his pent-up energy. Her stomach growled as they rounded the corner. It was Lily's turn to cook tonight. _I hope she has dinner started when we get back. I'm starving!_ She waited a moment so McDuffie could pee on a fire hydrant. She had to stop every few feet so he could mark his territory. _Typical McDuffie._ They walked into the park. There appeared to be a chess tournament occurring across the park. She understood chess minimally. One of her ex-boyfriends and his dad played chess often and her ex had tried to teach her the basics of the game, but it all seemed too complicated. Maybe it was the way her ex had explained it. Teagan passed a girl walking a pug. McDuffie whined and tugged at his leash.  
"No, McDuffie! Stay!" She commanded. Teagan passed another girl walking a German Shepherd. McDuffie pulled against the leash harder and whined. He started trying to pull Teagan along so he could greet the dog.  
"No, McDuffie! No!" The Westie tugged again and managed to pull the leash out of Teagan's hand and he was off like a shot. "MCDUFFIE! NO!" Teagan sprinted after her Westie. "McDuffie!" He was barreling toward the chess game.

"MCDUFFIE! STOP!" She screamed, racing after her dog and towards the chess game. McDuffie managed to stop just sort of the chess table, stopping and begging for attention from the crowd of people that had gathered around the table. Teagan was still sprinting madly after her dog. Realizing that McDuffie had stopped, she slowed her pace. She was almost to the table when McDuffie raced to her and began dancing around her feet, causing her to trip. She started to catch herself but ended up knocking the chessboard and the pieces everywhere. She landed on the ground with an "umph". _Ouch!_ The crowd around the table began to laugh. She turned beet red and remained on the ground. She wished the ground beneath her would swallow her whole. This was so embarrassing. McDuffie began licking her face. _Damn this dog!  
_ "Um, Teagan, are you okay?" _Oh shit. Not him_.

"Yes, I'm fine. Go away," she mumbled. _Blech_. She literally had eaten dirt when she fell. _Gross!_ She sat up and found herself staring into the very warm brown eyes of Dr. Spencer Reid.  
"Here," he said, offering her his hand. "Let me help you up."  
"T-Thank you," she said shakily. She was so embarrassed. She could still feel the heat in her cheeks. The crowd had stopped laughing. Several children in the crowd were playing with McDuffie. "C'mere, McDuffie. You awful thing. You're a bad dog!" McDuffie came to her and began growling at Spencer. "Stop that! He's a friend!"

"Oh, that happens with all dogs. Our team supervisor calls it "The Reid Effect." It happens with babies too."

"Well, dogs and babies can sense when you're nervous," she replied, picking up chess pieces from the ground. "Don't eat that, McDuffie! I'm sorry for ruining the chess game." She apologized to the crowd and to the teenage boy behind her.  
"It's okay," Spencer replied. "I was just explaining to George that there aren't really an infinite number of moves in chess. It's just such an exponentially large amount that it seems infinite. You know there's an average of forty chess moves per game and the more I play, the more I realize that every single game is just a variation on a single theme."

"Uh-huh," she replied. "I know nothing about chess so what you just said made no sense to me."

"Oh," he replied. "Chess is not very difficult once you understand the concept. You see the whole point is to-"

"McDuffie, no!" In the course of their conversation, McDuffie hiked his leg on Spencer's shoes. "Oh my God, Spencer," she whined. She was near the point of tears. Why did everything she did have to be so exceedingly embarrassing? "I'm so sorry!" Spencer just blinked.

"Did he just-" he replied, staring down at his now ruined pants leg and shoes.  
"Yep. Pissed right on your shoes. Bad McDuffie! My dog is horrible and I'm a klutz! I'm leaving before I can do anymore damage. I'm so sorry, Spencer. Send your dry cleaning bill to me." She turned around. "C'mon, McDuffie. You're such a bad dog!" She shook her finger at the Westie and began the route to exit the park.

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Spencer stood there for a moment comprehending what had just occurred. He knew Teagan must be completely embarrassed. He would be if it had happened to him. He stared down at his feet. His shoe was completely soaked. He knew it was going to smell terrible later if he didn't clean it soon. He turned around to George, "Can you finish cleaning this up?" George nodded. He began to run after Teagan. "Teagan, wait!" She turned around.

"What?" Her face was red from crying and embarrassment. Her baby blue sweater and cream colored pants were covered in dirt and grass stains. Spencer didn't know what to do. He wasn't very good with situations like this. He just knew he didn't want her to leave feeling so embarrassed.

"Um," he replied. _What to say?_

"Um, what?" She replied. "In case you didn't hear me the first time, please send your dry cleaning bill to me. I'm sorry about McDuffie peeing on your shoe. He's horrible." She frowned at her dog. "And I'm sorry we both ruined your game of chess."  
"It's okay," he replied. "I'm not going to make you pay for my dry cleaning."  
"But-" she interjected.  
"No, it's fine, but don't feel embarrassed about what happened, okay?"  
"But I feel bad about McDuffie ruining your clothes!" Her stomach growled fiercely, interrupting their conversation.  
"Do you want to go get something to eat?" Spencer asked suddenly. "I know this great Indian place. It's a little far out, but they have great chicken tandoori."  
"I can't go get dinner," Teagan replied. His face fell slightly. "I have McDuffie." She gestured to her clothes. "And not like this."

"Well, I have to change too," he said, pointing to his shoe. "Do you live far from here?"  
"No. Just a few blocks away." McDuffie barked impatiently. "Hush, you." She stared at her Westie.  
"So do I. Do you want to just meet back here around 6:30?"  
"Sure," she replied. Spencer watched as the tiny woman walked away with her dog towards her apartment. He turned in the opposite direction and began towards his._ Did I just ask her out on a date?_ He had never really been on a date, come to think of it. He wasn't typically comfortable around women, with the exception of J.J and Emily. And Maeve. But Teagan was different than all three of these women. She was something different entirely. He could honestly say he had never met anyone like her. He hated when everyone had laughed at her when she fell. Her dog hated him, but most dogs did. He had never been around a dog that liked him. Babies generally didn't like him either. The only baby that didn't cry when he held him was Henry. _What would J.J. think about what just happened? What would J.J. think about Teagan? _ He pondered all these questions as he stepped into his apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I am writing it. This was a hard chapter to write, and it's super long, but I hope you enjoy it! Read and review, folks! It's the only way I'm going to grow as a writer! XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, although I wish I did!**

Teagan and McDuffie walked back to her apartment. Lily's car was outside. _Oh, good! I can't wait to tell her!_ Teagan rushed inside.

"Hey, girl!" Lily called from the kitchen. "I can't decide what to fix for dinner! I was just about to call you."  
"Well," Teagan replied, taking McDuffie off his leash. "I'm not going to be here for dinner tonight."  
"Why? Got a hot date?"  
"Actually, yes," she said, hanging up McDuffie's leash and stepping into the kitchen.  
"No way!" Lily yelled.  
"Yes!" Teagan nodded and smiled.  
"Damn, what happened to you?" Lily said, staring her up and down. "You look like hell."  
"Long story."

"Does it involve your hot date?"  
"Yes."  
"Spill."  
"No. I have to shower and change." Lily followed her into her bedroom and sat down on her bed..  
"I'm not leaving until you tell me." Teagan sighed.  
"Fine," she said as Lily sat down on her bed. "I hate you by the way."  
"No you don't. You love me."  
"Okay. He's a client of Gene's."  
"You're dating a client?" Lily interrupted, raising her eyebrows.  
"He's not my client and I don't think we're dating. He just asked me to dinner. Anyway, let me finish. I only worked with him once when Gene was out. He's an FBI profiler. He's a doctor. With 5 degrees! 3 PhD's and two B.A.'s."  
"How old is this guy? 50?"  
"No! 30. He's certifiably a genius."  
"Damn," Lily replied. "Is he cute?"  
"I think so. He's really tall."  
"Everybody's tall to you."  
"True."  
"Why is he a client? Is he bipolar or something?"  
"No and you know I can't tell you that. It's confidential."  
"C'mon, please!"  
"Nope! I need to shower and change. I promised him I'd meet him by 6:30."  
"Where are y'all going? And you still haven't explained why you look like you've been playing football."

"Oh. I have no idea where we're going. Some Indian restaurant. And I took McDuffie for a walk in the park like I always do, but the little rascal ran away. He interrupted a chess game; I went to catch him, tripped over him, knocked the chessboard and pieces flying, and fell on the ground and literally ate dirt. Oh, and one of the guys playing chess? Was none other than my date for the evening."  
"Oh, man. That sucks. But hey, at least you have a date."  
"Which I need to get ready for."  
"I think you should wear those jeans that make your ass look fantastic."  
"Um, I don't know."  
"You should. I'll pick your outfit. Go take a shower." In less than 15 minutes, Teagan had showered, dried her hair, and reapplied her makeup. Lily was sitting on her bed with her outfit for the evening when she exited the bathroom dressed in her robe. Lily had picked out those jeans, a black sweater, and some red pumps.  
"Ooh, Lily!" Teagan cooed. "This is perfect!"  
"He's gonna bust something when he sees you in those jeans."  
"I don't know about all that."  
"I do," Lily replied as she left the room so Teagan could change. When Teagan emerged from her room, Lily said, "Sexy can I has yo numba?" Teagan rolled her eyes.  
"Shut up."  
"Can I has?" Lily winked.  
"I'm leaving. See you later."  
"Yeah, like tomorrow."  
"I'll be back no later than midnight," she called from the door.  
"Yeah, tomorrow!"  
"Shut up."

CMCMCMCMCMCM

Spencer walked in the cool autumn air back to the park. The sun was just beginning to set. He loved this time of year. He didn't look as odd in his sweater vests and corduroy pants this time of year either. He always got such odd stares when he wore his heavy clothing in the summer. He didn't like the feel of denim on his skin and he got teased when he wore shorts. Morgan said he had chicken legs. Spencer sat down on a bench just outside the park and waited for Teagan. Would she even show up? It would be his luck if she didn't.

"Hey, Spencer!" Teagan called from behind. He turned around to see her walking towards him in what he thought was a very becoming outfit. She wore a fitted black sweater that just clung to her curves with jeans that made her short legs look long and lean. Her red heels also added length to her legs. She looked absolutely stunning. _Why was he suddenly so nervous?_

"Hi," he replied, still staring at her. "Um. That's, um, a nice outfit."  
"Oh, thank you!" She said, beaming. "My roommate picked it out."  
"It's nice."  
"Thanks. So where are we going? I'm starving!"  
"Um, to an Indian restaurant called Taj's Tandoori Palace. Do you like Indian food?"  
"I've never tried it."  
"Really?" he asked, surprised.  
"I take that back. I went to a restaurant once on a blind date and the guy ordered for me. He ordered curry and I didn't like it." She scrunched her nose in distaste.  
"I like Chicken Tandoori."  
"I've heard of it, but I've never tried it."  
"It's a very traditional Indian dish made with chicken, yogurt, and spices. It's traditionally cooked in a _tandoor_, or clay oven, hence the name. But it can also be cooked on a barbecue grill."

"It sounds delicious. God, I'm so hungry right now I'm about to die of starvation. I haven't eaten since noon!"  
"Really you can't die from starvation from not eating in less than 6 hours. It's physically impossible. Most scientists believe that a healthy person can go for 8 weeks without eating as long as they have water. However, weight, climate, and metabolism play a factor in determining this."  
"I was joking, Spencer." She giggled.  
"Oh." His face fell slightly.  
"C'mon," she nudged him lightly. "Let's go eat."

CMCMCMCMCMCM

40 minutes later, Spencer and Teagan walked into Taj's Tandoori Palace. Spencer ate here often when he was home. In his opinion, they had the best chicken tandoori he had ever eaten and he had eaten a lot of chicken tandoori over the years.  
"So, um, where do you want to sit?" Spencer asked.  
"Anywhere is fine. I need to run to the restroom really quick," she replied. "Where is it?"  
"Oh, it's directly to the back. You can't miss it."  
"Thanks!" She rushed off towards the bathroom. Spencer rocked impatiently back and forth on his heels. They had a pleasant conversation on the Metro on the way over here. She told him that subways tended to make her uneasy, but he told her that deaths occurring on a subway were statistically very low. It seemed to ease her nerves a bit, but she still looked at him dubiously. She tapped him on the arm. She had returned from the bathroom.  
"So where're we sitting?"  
"Um, how about over there?" He asked, pointing to a booth near a big window that overlooked the street.  
"Sure," she replied. She slid into the booth seat across from him. The waiter immediately came and asked for their drink order.  
"I'll just have water," Spencer stated.  
"I'll have swee-um, some lemonade please," Teagan said. As soon as the waiter left, Tegan giggled. "Been in D.C. for nearly three years and I still am in the habit of ordering sweet tea every time I go out. I'm such a Southerner."  
"I've never had sweet tea." He replied. "Although it has as much sugar as a can of soda. And if you drink it in large amounts, you can develop kidney stones because of the high oxalate content. Oxalate is a naturally occurring chemical found in tea leaves that inhibits the body's absorption of calcium."

"Hmm," she replied. "What about coffee? I drink a LOT of coffee and I know that caffeine will dehydrate you."  
"Coffee, contrary to popular belief, is not terrible for you in moderation."  
"In moderation," she replied. "But I drink at least 4-6 cups a day. Do you drink a lot of coffee?"  
"I used to. I switched to green tea."  
"Do you like it?" She crinkled her nose.  
"It's okay," he replied. "I like coffee better."  
"Why did you switch then?"  
"Because, um, of my migraines."  
"Oh. I thought caffeine generally helped migraines."  
"Usually, but I used to drink so much caffeine, I think it triggered my migraines."  
"Oh. Well, have you had any migraines since you stopped drinking coffee?" _Should he tell her?_

"No," he lied smoothly. "I haven't."  
"That's good, then." The waiter returned with their drinks.  
"And what did you decide on?" the waiter asked.

"Um, I'll have the chicken tandoori," Spencer stated. "With yogurt raita and curry rice."  
"I'll have the same thing," Teagan said. The waiter took their menus and left. "Sorry! I didn't know what to get and that sounded delicious."  
"It is delicious," he stated.  
"I'm so hungry!" Teagan exclaimed. "I turn into an animal when I don't eat." Spencer raised his eyebrows. "No seriously. I get kind of—she lowered her voice—_bitchy _when I don't eat." Spencer laughed.  
"So your blood sugar drops? The hypothalamus is triggered when your blood sugar drops and levels of several hormones such as growth hormone, leptin and ghrelin are affected. This imbalance then causes a shift in neurotransmitters and suppresses serotonin receptors."  
"Huh?"  
"Serotonin is a hormone that helps regulate mood and appetite. If you cut off your body's ability to process it, you're going to have mood swings. Anger and extreme frustration are the two usual moods that you feel when your blood sugar drops.  
"Basically me when I'm hungry. I'm starting to get hangry now, so I'm probably going to gripe and complain about everything until I get food in me."  
"Hangry?" Spencer asked quizzically.  
"Yes. Hungry and angry, hence hangry." He chuckled slightly.  
"That's a new word for me."  
"Well, I'm glad that I taught you something," she said, winking. He smiled. He honestly couldn't remember the last time someone had made him laugh.  
"So," she said seriously, putting both palms on the table. "How's life as a profiler? Your job fascinates me."  
"Technically I'm not a 'profiler'," he replied. "I'm a Behavioral Analyst, but over the years people have called it 'profiling' and hence the name stuck. I study human behavior."  
"So could you profile me?" She grinned.  
"I'd really prefer not to."  
"C'mon, Spencer."  
"No," he stated, as their food arrived.  
"Ooh, this looks good!" she exclaimed, before taking a bite. "Mmm." She moaned in satisfaction. "You're right! This is delicious!" Spencer laughed again.  
"I'm glad you like it." She stabbed another piece of chicken with her fork and took a bite.  
"So, you're not going to profile me?"  
"Nope," he replied.  
"Well, darn! Anyway, so you study the behavior of the serial killers before catching them?"  
"I don't just study the behavior of serial killers. We study the behaviors of serial rapists and kidnappers as well."  
"That sounds really fascinating."  
"It is, but I see a lot of things that I really wish I didn't," he said, frowning slightly.  
"I'm sorry," she said, reaching across the table for his hand. His body tensed slightly at the unexpected touch as she placed her hand on top of his. "Let's change the subject. Hmm?" He nodded and took a sip of water before speaking.

"What was the name of the artist we listened to in your car?" he asked.  
"Adele," she replied. "Did you like her?"  
"Yes. Very much." She still had not moved her hand from his.  
"It's weird. Some people like her and some people don't. My mom hates her. I, however, thinks she sings remarkably well."  
"She does," he replied as his cell phone rang. "Excuse me for a moment." He removed his hand from hers and reached into his messenger bag for his phone. It was Garcia. He cursed inwardly.  
"Hello?"  
"Hey, Tall and Brilliant! I've got some bad news, Sweetness. We all need to meet back at the BAU in an hour. We've got a case."  
"Um, I'll be there as soon as I can."  
"Are you at your apartment? I can come by and get you."  
"No, I'm at dinner right now."  
"Oh," she replied, sounding surprised. "Are you with your _lady friend_?"  
"Um, Garcia, I'll be there as soon as I can. I promise. Bye." He didn't wait for her to respond. He flipped the phone shut and looked directly at Teagan. "I'm so sorry. That was Penelope Garcia, the technical analyst for the BAU. I have to go in to work."  
"Right now?" Teagan asked. "It's, like, eight o'clock at night."  
"I know. I don't always work normal hours. I'm sorry about all this."  
"Look it's not your fault," Teagan replied.  
"I'm going to make sure you get home safely," he stated, signaling for the waiter to bring the check.  
"You don't have to do that," she said. "I'm a big tough girl. I have pepper spray in my purse, Spencer."  
"Still," he replied. "I asked you to go to dinner with me and I'm going to see you home."  
"So chivalrous," she winked at him, as the waiter brought their check. She reached for her purse.  
"I've got it," he said.  
"Thank you." He smiled in response. After he paid for their meal, they left the restaurant and headed in the direction of the subway station. The air was remarkably cooler than when they had entered the restaurant.  
"Brr!" She said. "I need a coat! It's freezing!"  
"It's not that bad," he remarked. "It's maybe fifty degrees outside."  
"Spencer, I'm from Georgia. When it gets under sixty degrees, I say it's cold." He laughed.

"You're ridiculous."  
"Oh, hush, you!" She tripped over her own feet and fell against him, almost knocking them both to the ground. He caught her and steadied her.  
"Be careful."  
"Careful? That's not in my vocabulary. Besides, it's my own damn fault for wearing heels. I know I can't walk in them."  
"Why did you wear them then?"  
"Because they matched my outfit, silly!" She elbowed him. "You've got a lot to learn about women."  
"Apparently." She reached for his hand again. This time he didn't tense at the unexpected touch. He smiled as she intertwined her fingers with his. They walked for a few moments in silence before boarding the Metro.  
"You know," she said. "I can take the train that will take me to Fredericksburg. You don't have to take me all the way back home. I don't want you to be late for your job."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes. Don't be late because of me."  
"Okay," he said, looking down at their intertwined hands. "So I guess this is goodbye?"  
"For now."  
"For now." _What was he supposed to do? _She looked like she was expecting him to do something. _But what?_

"Thanks for dinner, Spencer. It's been an interesting night. I tried Indian food for the first time, which was delicious by the way. And I think I may have conquered my fear of the subway. Go catch the bad guys!" He smiled in response. "Bye, Spencer."  
"Bye Teagan." She stepped a little closer to him before wrapping her arms around his waist in a very awkward hug. He reached up and patted her awkwardly on the back. _Was this what she wanted? He wasn't sure what to do_. He watched as she boarded the subway, giving him a small wave from the window. He turned and went in the direction that would take him to the subway to Quantico. Teagan was right. It had been an interesting night. _A very interesting night indeed_.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! I wrote this last night. It's just sort of the after thoughts of their first "date". I'm thinking about making a one-shot of Spencer and Teagan on the Metro, but I don't know if that would be a good idea or not. Let me know what you think! Read and review, folks!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, although I wish I did.**

Spencer strode into the bullpen. It was nearly nine at night. This had to be an important case for him to be called in this late.

"Hey, Kid," Morgan said from his desk. "A little birdie told me that you were out on a date tonight."  
"Shut up, Morgan," he replied, removing his messenger bag before sitting down. "Where's Hotch?"  
"Touchy!" Morgan exclaimed. "He's not here yet. He got stuck in traffic. Rossi is too."  
"Oh."  
"So tell me how your date went."  
"Morgan, please stop," he begged. "It wasn't a date."  
"Then what was it?"  
"I don't know. She was hungry; I asked her to dinner. End of story."  
"Wait a second! You asked her to dinner?"  
"Yeah."  
"I'm proud of you," Morgan said. "Where'd you take her?"

"Taj's Tandoori Palace."  
"Your favorite place. Impressive. I bet she enjoyed that. What did you talk about?"  
"She was interested in hearing about my job. I was working up to talking about her, before I got called in."  
"Did you get a little sugar?" Morgan asked, making a kissy face. Spencer felt blood rush to his cheeks.

"Um," He swallowed. "No."  
"Oh come on, Pretty Boy! Did you get a little hug in at least?"  
"Morgan!" He exclaimed. "Stop."  
"I'm gonna take that one as a yes," Morgan smirked, walking to the break room. Spencer grabbed a pen and twirled it around with his fingers, giving his hands something to do. Sometimes when his mind was in overdrive, like it was now, it helped for him to move. He thought about his dinner with Teagan. _Was it a date?_ He smiled to himself. He liked when she held his hand and the way her hand felt in his. He definitely wanted to see her again, but would she want to see him? _Maybe_. Morgan had told him once that girls liked magic. Maybe he could show her a magic trick. He leaned back in his chair and twirled the pen some more.  
"So, Boy Wonder, how did your date go?" Garcia asked, startling him. He jumped slightly and almost fell out of his chair.

"It went fairly well," he replied. He wished she would go away. He didn't want any of the team members finding out just yet. "Garcia, I really don't want to talk about it."  
"I know you told Chocolate Thunder. I'll just go get all the juicy deets from him."  
"Juicy deets?" Spencer asked, quizzically.  
"Juicy details," she replied as she walked over to Morgan's desk. They immediately put their heads together and began whispering. He groaned. Before too long, the entire BAU would know of his dinner with Teagan. He liked to keep some things private. He didn't want to share everything just yet. Just then, Hotch walked in and Spencer stood up, ready to be briefed for their next case.  
**CMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

Teagan unlocked the door to her apartment and walked inside. Lily was sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn watching a movie with McDuffie snuggled up at her feet.  
"Hey," she said.  
"Hey," Lily replied. "How'd your date go?"  
"Pretty well. We're going to have to go to Taj's Tandoori Palace sometime soon." Teagan sat on the couch and grabbed a handful of popcorn. "I just hope he didn't think I was too forward."  
"What did you do?" Lily inquired. "Did you have sex with him on the subway or something?"  
"NO!" Teagan exclaimed. "He's just different. Really shy. Sort of awkward."  
"Oh," Lily replied. "Awkward? He must be perfect for you then." She winked.  
"Shut up, you," she replied, taking another handful of popcorn. "What are we watching?"

"The Golden Girls."  
"Oh my God! I love this show."  
"I know. So do you think you'll go on another date with Doctor Genius?"  
"I don't know. It depends on if he liked me or not."  
"I think he liked you."  
"Maybe." She grabbed another handful of popcorn. "He didn't act like he wanted to hug me though."  
"You said he was awkward."  
"This is true. We'll just have to see."  
"Yep."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying reading this and much as I am writing it. In case you're curious, I've posted a Music and the Genius one-shot titled, "Claustrophobia and Metro Stations". It takes place during Chapter 8. Also, I'm posting a link to the song listed below on my profile in case you're interested! Please read and review, folks! XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

**A Week Later**

Teagan walked onto the pediatric floor with her guitar, a basket of shakers, her ukulele, and a variety of visual aids. Every Tuesday, she led a music therapy session with children with a variety of different ailments. It was her favorite time of the day. As she walked into the playroom, a little boy named David, who had been in and out of the hospital for about 6 months for chemotherapy treatments, waved to her.  
"Miss Teagan," he said. "Is it music time?" He grinned hugely.  
"Yep!" She replied. "Sure is!"  
"Can we sing "Mahalo", peas?" She grinned. She loved the way he said the word _please_.  
"Of course, David." She looked around. There weren't many children today. One little girl with her hair in blond pigtails was playing with Play-Doh with her mother. Another little boy was playing with a train set quite contentedly by himself while a nurse watched nearby.

"Okay, everyone! It's music time!" She yelled. "Come sit in the circle, please!" The other children ignored her entirely and continued to play. David, however, sat down right in the middle of the circle and scooted closer to her. She grabbed her blue ukulele with the dolphin bridge from the case.  
"Oh, Miss Teagan, you brought Lilo!" David exclaimed.  
"Of course I did! You can't sing "Mahalo" without Lilo." She began strumming the opening chords. The other two children looked up from their activities and stared at her curiously. "_Mahalo to the urchin. Mahalo to the sea_," she sang. "_Mahalo to the skies above. Mahalo to you and me_." David began to sing along. "Okay David, what's next?"

"_Sing Mahalo! Mahalo! Mahalo for everything_!" the boy exclaimed, singing loudly.  
"And what does_ mahalo_ mean?" She asked, smiling at David.  
"_Mahalo, that means thank you. Mahalo, mahalo, mahalo_." They both finished together. "Good, David." Both of the children had come to the circle where Teagan and David were sitting.  
"What's that?" the little girl with pigtails asked, pointing at Teagan's ukulele as she sat down on the circle.  
"This is Lilo, the blue ukulele," Teagan replied.  
"Like Lilo and Stitch?" the little girl asked.  
"Exactly like Lilo and Stitch! They're both from Hawaii." The little girl smiled.  
"Can I play her?"  
"Yes, but not until the very end, okay? We've got to wait our turn." The little girl pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. Teagan continued with her session. She sang several songs that she knew the children would enjoy and benefit from. She learned the names of the other two children. The little girl was named Maddie and the other little boy was named Joel. After the session ended, the children were all sad to see her go. Maddie and David pleaded for her to stay, but she was scheduled for another session in thirty minutes.  
"I'm sorry, everyone, but I've got to go! I'll be back soon!" She grabbed her cases and basket and headed for the elevator. When it dinged announcing its arrival and the doors opened, she noticed Spencer was inside.  
"Hello again, Spencer!" she chirped, pressing the button. "Back from your case?"  
"Yes," he replied.  
"Did you catch the bad guy?"  
"Yes. Um, Teagan can I ask you something?"  
"Sure," she replied, beaming at him.

"Would you, um, like to go to dinnerwithmeagian?" He said quickly. She blinked, trying to comprehend what he said.

"Excuse me?"  
"Would you like to go to dinner, um, with me again?" He asked again more slowly this time.  
"Certainly. She replied. "But do we have to take the Metro again?" He chuckled in response as they stepped off the elevator.  
"No, we can drive. What time should I pick you up?"  
"I don't know," she replied. "You don't know where I live and you don't have my number."

"You have mine," he said, smirking slightly.  
"No I don't," she stated. "You've never given me your number."  
"Check under your headband, behind your ear."  
"Huh?" She reached up behind her blue plaid headband, and sure enough, there was his card reading "**S.S.A. Dr. Spencer Reid, Profiler, Behavioral Analysis Unit**" along with his phone number underneath.

"How on earth did you do that?!" She exclaimed.

"A magician never reveals his secrets," he stated.  
"Hmm," she said, tapping her chin with her index finger. "So you're a genius with multiple doctorates, a profiler, and now a magician. Is there anything else I should know?" He shrugged his shoulders simply in response. She flipped the card over and stared at it, amazed by his trick. "So I guess you want me to call you?" She asked, winking at him.  
"Um, you, don't, um, have to, I guess. I mean-"  
"I'm going to call you, Spencer," she interrupted. "But if I don't hurry I'm going to be late for my next session. So, I'll see you later?"  
"Okay." He nodded in response. Suddenly, Teagan grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her level. She kissed his cheek briefly before heading off to her next session. He stood there for a moment, comprehending what had just occurred. He placed his hand on his cheek, touching the spot she'd kissed. He felt a blush creep into his cheeks. He couldn't believe that his magic trick had worked. He smiled to himself. She agreed to go out with him again! He couldn't believe it.

The team had teased him incessantly about his "date" last week. Everyone had offered dating advice as well, but he liked Rossi's advice the best.  
"_Just be yourself_," he'd stated. "_Don't pretend to be something you're not just to impress her._" That's when he decided that he would try to show her a magic trick. He turned on his heel and headed towards the clinic.  
"Hey Spencer!" Gene said as he stepped inside the clinic. "You're right on time." Spencer removed his messenger bag and placed it on the chair. "We're going to do something different today."  
"Okay." He smiled. His thoughts were still with Teagan. His cheek still burned from her kiss.  
"We're going to try some song-writing." Spencer's mind suddenly cam into focus.  
"I can't sing."  
"You don't have to," Gene replied. "You can just write the lyrics. Or the music. Or both. I can sing it for you."  
"What are we going to write about?"  
"Whatever you'd like. We're mainly going to brainstorm today. I've read your file extensively. It says here you are a recovering drug addict. Is that correct?" Spencer nodded, automatically fingering the medallion that he kept in his pocket, reminding him of his sobriety.

"Is that your medallion?" Gene asked.  
"Yeah."  
"How long have you been clean, Spencer? Just curious," Gene asked.  
"6 years, 10 months, 7 days, 15 hours, 17 minutes and 22 seconds," Spencer ticked off, without missing a breath.  
"That's a long time."  
"It is," Spencer replied. "But I struggle almost daily."  
"I can imagine. Why did you become addicted to Dilaudid?" Gene asked. Spencer swallowed and shut his eyes tightly, his eidetic memory reliving every horrible second of the two days he was tortured by Tobias Hankel.  
"I'd rather not discuss it," he said.  
"Okay," Gene said. "Is there anything you'd like to discuss?"  
"Not today, Gene. Can we call it a day?"  
"If you'd like," Gene said, staring at him quizzically.  
"Have a good afternoon." He grabbed his messenger bag.  
"You too, Spencer." Spencer left the clinic feeling slightly less happy than before. What would Teagan think if she found out about his past with Dilaudid? That was something he hadn't even told Maeve. The team knew about it of course, but it was something they never discussed. He stepped out into the cool autumn air, pondering all these things in his mind.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! This chapter is hopefully the one that you've all been waiting for! Please read and review. I hope it's not too fluffy! If you haven't already, please go check out my Music and the Genius one-shot, "Claustrophobia and Metro Stations". Tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds**.

Teagan sat at her desk during what was supposed to be her lunch break, but she really wasn't hungry. She sat in her black leather desk chair, flipping Spencer's business card over and over in her hands. She smiled to herself. _That man_. He was so awkward it was absolutely adorable. _Although he seemed pretty confident and less awkward when he performed his magic trick. How on earth did he do that? That was pretty impressive._ She turned the card over again, looking at his phone number. _Should I call him now? I don't want to appear desperate_. She had limited experience with dating. She had only dated two men in her entire life. She had heard of the Two Day rule, but did that apply to men only? She had no idea. She grabbed her phone and started to dial his number, but thought better of it. She sighed, grabbing her pen and began to fill out paperwork, but her brain just wouldn't concentrate. She then picked up her phone and began to dial his number.

**CMCMCMCMCM**

Spencer was sitting at his desk working on paperwork when his phone rang. His brow furrowed. He didn't recognize the number. He flipped the phone open.  
"H-Hello. This is Dr. Spencer Reid."  
"Well, hello, Dr. Spencer Reid," a familiar female voice said.  
"Teagan! Hi."  
"So, I'm calling you."  
"I've noticed." He chuckled slightly. "So, um, when would you like to go to dinner?" He could almost see her biting her lip, something she did when she was thinking.  
"Is tonight okay? Or are you busy?"  
"I'm not busy. Are you busy?"  
"No, silly goose! For such a smart person, you ask some really dumb questions."  
"So I've been told," he replied.  
"So tonight. Where are we going?" She asked giddily.  
"Do you like pizza?"  
"Do I like pizza?" She asked, weakly imitating his voice. "Of course I like pizza!"  
"Okay, then I know just the place. Does 6:30 work?"  
"Yes. Where is this this place?"  
"It's a secret. I'll have to come by and pick you up."  
"You have no idea where I live."  
"I know that. I was hoping you'd tell me."  
"I just don't think I know you that well," she teased.  
"I understand. I mean, you don't really know me that well, and-"

"I was teasing!" she interrupted. She quickly gave him her address. "Do you know how to get there?"  
"Y-yes," he replied, cursing inwardly. He never understood sarcasm. She had been teasing him.  
"Okay. So you're going to pick me up at 6:30, right?"  
"Yes."  
"Okay, see you then."  
"See you then."  
"'Bye, Spencer."  
"'Bye, Teagan." He flipped his phone shut. He had another date. Tonight. He ran his hands through his hair nervously.  
"What was that, Pretty Boy?' Derek asked, walking into the bullpen and sitting at the desk across from his. "Do you have another date?"  
"Mind your own business, Morgan," he snapped.  
"I will not. So are you going out with the music girl again?"  
"Yes," he admitted.  
"Where're you taking her?"  
"To get pizza."  
"Sounds fun. Are you going to try to get a little sugar this time?" Morgan winked.  
"Shut up, Morgan!" His cheeks reddened. The thought of kissing Teagan caused his stomach to do backflips. The only person he'd ever kissed before was Lila. And Diane. He crinkled his nose in disgust.  
"You don't want to kiss her?" Morgan asked, picking up on his body language.  
"Maybe. I was just thinking the last person I kissed was Diane." His brown eyes met Morgan's.  
"Oh, Kid," Morgan said, shaking his head. "It's obvious this girl likes you. She wouldn't have agreed to go out with you if she didn't. Just don't bring up Maeve yet. Keep the conversation light. For now." Spencer nodded in response. "Have some fun. Live a little."  
"Okay."  
"And please do not babble."  
"I don't babble," Spencer stated. Morgan shot him a look. "I'll try not to."  
"You want to make it to the third date, right?" He nodded again in response. "Then don't babble."

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

Teagan stood peering out the window for what seemed like the fifth time. She was so nervous! McDuffie nudged her ankles.  
"Hey buddy!" She reached down and petted him. "Please don't growl at our guest when he comes."  
"Teagan, will you get away from that window? You're making me anxious," Lily said from her position on the couch.  
"Sorry! I just hope he doesn't get lost. Oh Lily, I'm so nervous."  
"Don't be. You've been out with him before."  
"I know, but this is an actual date."  
"As opposed to?"  
"Okay. You've made your point." The doorbell rang and Teagan jumped. McDuffie barked. Lily stood up from the couch and rolled her eyes.  
"I'll get it," Lily said. "God, you're ridiculous." Lily opened the door. Spencer stood there awkwardly, his hands in his pockets. Lily raised her eyebrows.  
"Are you Teagan's date?"  
"Um, yes. Sorry, I'm Dr. Spencer Reid." He waved.  
"Come on in, Dr. Reid. She wasn't kidding. You're, like, really tall."  
"Is that bad?" he asked. Lily just shook her head as he stepped inside. McDuffie began to growl immediately.  
"McDuffie! Stop!" Lily scolded.

"Dogs don't like me. Neither do babies. My supervisor calls it 'The Reid Effect'," he explained quickly. "Is Teagan ready?"

"Yep," Teagan answered from the kitchen. "Just let me get my jacket really quick." He rocked back and forth on his heels impatiently. Lily looked at him and stated,

"If you hurt her, I will destroy you."  
"Excuse me?" He asked, blinking rapidly. "You'll what?"  
"You heard me." He nervously tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.

"You ready?" Teagan asked, slipping on her jacket. Spencer nodded in response. "'Bye Lily!"

"Bye, y'all have fun!" She shot Spencer a look that Teagan didn't see before shutting the door. It was chilly as they stepped outside. His knee twinged, as it always did in this type of weather. He walked ahead of Teagan a little bit until they reached his car. He went to unlock her door.

"Is this your car?" she asked. He nodded. "I like it."

"Thanks."

"I thought I was the only one who had a thing for old cars. I mean, you've seen my Beetle."  
"Yeah. I don't drive this much."  
"Why?"

"Everyone says I'm a bad driver," he stated, as she slid into the passenger seat.  
"You're just now telling me this?" She raised her eyebrows.  
"I'm not a bad driver. I've never had a wreck. I just apparently make people very nervous when I drive. So I don't drive often."  
"Oh." He slid into the driver's seat and adjusted the rearview mirror before starting the car. They drove in silence for a few moments, before Teagan blurted out,

"Can you cut on the freaking radio, please? I cannot stand silence!" Spencer chuckled.  
"Why don't you like silence?"  
"Obviously because silence is so loud."  
"That is an oxymoron."  
"No, it's not. Silence is never actually silence. There's always something else going on, whether it be your heartbeat or the sound of your own breathing. Gah! I can't stand the quiet! It drives me insane!"  
"Okay, okay. I'll turn on the radio," he replied. He hit the switch and some rock song came blaring through. He didn't recognize it, but Teagan did. She began to sing along.  
"Oh come on, Spencer! Don't tell me you don't know this!" She grinned.

"I really don't."  
"Journey?" She asked incredulously. "You don't know Journey?"  
"Nope."  
"Oh my God, Spencer. I need to educate you in music. Beethoven, Mozart, and Bob Dylan are great, but you need some more variety in your musical selection."  
"I do?" He asked. "I have listened to Nas before. My friend Derek said that 'anybody who can't quote _Illmatic_ is ignorant.'"

"You listen to hip-hop? Wow! And tell your friend Derek that I'm ignorant because I cannot quote that album." He chuckled.

"I think he was joking," he replied.  
"I would hope so." He drove on while Teagan sang along to almost every song that came on the radio. She was singing very softly, so softly he couldn't hear her very well. She snuck a glance at him and blushed when their eyes met.  
"Please don't stop singing," he begged.

"Why?"

"Because you have a beautiful voice."

"Thank you," she blushed. "I still believe that you can sing and you're just lying."

"No, I'm terrible."  
"Everyone can sing. At least a little."  
"Not me."  
"One day, I'll find out whether or not you can sing," she said.

The restaurant Spencer picked was right in the middle of downtown D.C. He parked a few blocks away near an alleyway. The alleyway was dark, littered with trash and a group of men were standing outside a doorway smoking cigarettes.  
"Um, Spencer, we don't have to cut through that alleyway, do we? Cause it looks sort of sketchy."  
"No, we're not," he stated. "But, um, just to make sure you're safe, um, will you stay close to me?" He pleaded, his brown eyes meeting hers.  
"Of course. 'Cause those men look sketchy. I'm not planning to go near them unless I have to." She reached for her purse in the floorboard and Spencer came around and opened the door for her. "Such a gentleman, Dr. Reid." She winked. He swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat and locked the door. They began to walk around the alleyway and she reached for his hand. He smiled as their fingers intertwined. He noticed the air was colder now than when they left and that her hand was cold in his. He gave it a quick squeeze and rubbed his thumb over her knuckle, trying to warm her hand up.

"We'll be there soon, and hopefully it'll be warm. I'm sorry you're cold."  
"Spencer, just so you know, my hands and feet are always freezing. I'm actually quite comfortable."  
"Oh. Do you have poor blood circulation?"  
"No. Just cold hands and feet. Nobody knows why. I'm just weird."  
"You're not weird." They finally reached the restaurant. He opened the door for her and they stepped inside. It was much warmer in here. A hostess came and seated them at a table in the middle of the room. Spencer noticed there were a lot of people here that were from Capitol Hill. He assumed they came here to blow off some steam after work. The table next to theirs contained some very rowdy and drunk people in their early twenties. He assumed they were interns. Teagan sat down across from him. One of the people at the next table laughed raucously. Spencer shut his eyes tightly. He didn't like loud noises or loud people.  
"Something wrong?" Teagan asked, shrugging out of her jacket and hanging it behind her on the chair.  
"Nothing. I just don't like loud noises."  
"We can move."  
"No, it's okay." A waiter came by and placed menus in front of them before taking their drink orders.  
"I'll have water," Spencer said.  
"I'll have a Coke," Teagan stated. "So do you want to split a pizza or get individual slices?

"It's up to you."

"I'm a horrible decision maker. You pick."  
"Let's split a pizza."  
"Okay."

CMCMCMCMCM

Spencer got ready for bed that night thinking about the rest of his date with Teagan. He had shown her pictures of the team that were on his phone that were taken at the celebration for his thirtieth birthday. Garcia had taken them.  
_"So that's Derek, huh?" She'd asked when he'd pointed him out.  
"Yeah. And this is J.J. or Jennifer Jareau. Actually, it's Jennifer LaMontagne now, but we still call her J.J. I'm actually her son Henry's godfather."_

_"That's awesome! How old is Henry?"  
"He's five." Spencer showed her a picture of Henry.  
"Oh my goodness! He's precious!" she exclaimed. __"Who is that?" She pointed to another person on his phone._

_"That's our Unit Chief, Aaron Hotchner."  
"He's got a nice smile. Who's that?" She asked pointing to another person.  
"Penelope Garcia, our technical analyst."  
"I remember that name. She called you when we were eating dinner last time. Who's that?"  
"David Rossi, our oldest profiler."_

_ "He seems like the grandfather type. Is he?"_

_ "I guess you could say that. This is Emily Prentiss. She's no longer with the team. She's in London now with INTERPOL."_

_ "Wow! I'd like to visit London someday."_

_ "This is Dr. Alex Blake. She took Emily's place when she left." Teagan smiled.  
"So, they're your family, huh? She said. "I can tell by the way you talk about them."_

_ "In a way, I suppose, yes."_

On the ride back to her apartment, Teagan fell asleep. Traffic had been heavy, so he drove carefully. It was much later than he planned when they arrived at her apartment.

"_Hey. Hey, Teagan, wake up!" He tapped her on the shoulder lightly.  
"Hmm?" she asked sleepily, blinking. "Oh Spencer, did I fall asleep? I'm sorry."  
"It's okay."  
"No it's not. You're going to think that I think you're a bore. And you're not. I guess I just got full of pizza and the car ride made me sleepy." She smiled.  
"It's fine." He came around and opened the door for her, and took her hand. It was the first time he'd ever initiated that. He was starting to feel more comfortable around her now. They walked to her apartment door and she fiddled with her keys and then stared at him. What did she want? He wondered. _

"_Good night." He said.  
"Good night," she had replied, looking down at her feet. He turned around to walk back to the car when she yelled, "Hey!" He turned around. Just like this morning, she grabbed his tie. He felt his stomach flip-flop. She pulled him down to her level and she pressed her lips to his. _

He smiled at the thought. The whole thing lasted no more than two seconds, and was no more than a peck, really. But it had been one of the most amazing things he'd ever experienced. He left her apartment complex in a complete and total daze. He didn't even remember driving home. All he could think about was the feel of her lips on his. Her lips were soft and tasted vaguely of vanilla. He cursed himself, wishing that he had had the courage to kiss her first. But he had been so scared of rejection. He slipped under the covers and hoped that tonight he would not have a nightmare. He closed his eyes and almost immediately fell asleep and began dreaming of Teagan.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone! Hope you're all enjoying the story. I had to update Chapter 11, because I neglected to have Spencer mention that he was Henry's godfather. The chapter just didn't make sense unless I fixed that chapter. So I did. Also, if you haven't yet, please go check out my one-shot titled, "Claustrophobia and Metro Stations". Read and review, folks!**

Spencer rolled over on his side, snoring lightly, still dreaming of Teagan. His alarm clock blared and he awoke with a start, almost falling out of bed. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He was still thinking about the kiss from last night. He smiled to himself. He couldn't believe that she kissed him. She seemed to like him, which honestly surprised him. He had never been good with women. That was Morgan's area of expertise. His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He checked the Caller I.D. It was J.J.  
"Hello?"  
"Hey Spence."  
"Hey J.J. How're you?"  
"I'm fine," she replied. "I was just wondering if you'd like to come to brunch tomorrow. My place. We had a case last week, so we didn't get to have it. Henry has been asking for you."  
"Sure. J.J. is it, um, okay if I bring someone?"  
"Of course, Spence. Bring whoever you'd like."  
"Thanks."  
"So, I'll see you at noon tomorrow?"

"Yes."  
"'Bye, Spence."  
"'Bye, J.J."

He rubbed his face before closing his phone. Would J.J. like Teagan? Would Teagan even want to go? He opened his phone again and scrolled through his calls before finding Teagan's number. He hit send. It was still early. He hoped she was awake. He didn't want to wake her up.

"Hello?" a sleepy voice asked.  
"Hi, Teagan. Did I wake you?"  
"No," she replied. "I got up about ten minutes ago. McDuffie had to pee."  
"Listen, I was wondering if, um, maybe you'd, um, like to go to brunch with me tomorrow?"  
"Sure."  
"It's at my friend J.J.'s house. You don't have to come if you don't want to."  
"I'd love to come. What time?"  
"Around noon, but I'll probably come pick you up around eleven, if that's okay."  
"Eleven's fine."  
"See you then.'Bye."  
"'Bye, Magic Man." He flipped the phone shut for a second time. She just called him Magic Man. He smiled to himself. He liked that particular nickname. He walked into the bathroom to shower and change before he went to the park for a game or two of chess.

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

**10:50 am: Sunday, October 6, 2013**

"Lily, have you seen the hot pad? I need to take up these grits."

"It's over here, Goofball," she replied, handing it to her. "Why are you taking food again?"

"I thought it'd be a nice gesture. I mean, I don't want to show up at someone's house for a meal without bringing something!" She said, glancing at the clock. "And he's going to be here any minute!"

"He can wait," Lily replied, watching as Teagan stirred cheese into the grits. "These people probably haven't had shrimp and grits before, Teagan. Was that really a good idea?"

"I called Spencer yesterday and asked him if anyone had a seafood allergy. I asked if this was okay to bring and he said he couldn't wait to try it."

"Well, if nobody eats them, you'll be stuck with a huge amount of shrimp and grits, 'cause I certainly don't eat either of those things."

"I know. Maybe they'll like them. If not, we know I do!" She grabbed the pot off the stove and covered it with the lid. "Hopefully this will stay warm."

"Hopefully. Grits are gross, but they're even grosser cold." Teagan rolled her eyes. The doorbell rang and McDuffie started barking.

"I'm coming!" Teagan yelled. She opened the door. "Well, hello, Dr. Reid. Nice to see you again."

"Hi," he gave her an awkward wave.  
"Do you want to come in for just a second? I have to finish getting everything together."  
"Sure," he replied, stepping inside her apartment. McDuffie automatically began growling at him.  
"Shut it, McDuffie! Sit anywhere you like. I'll be right back." Spencer sat down on the couch and watched as she walked into the kitchen, her sweater dress billowing around her knees. She was wearing a gray sweater dress with a purple scarf, black tights, and purple pumps to match. He noticed that she always coordinated her shoes to match an accessory. In fact, he had never seen her in the same pair of shoes twice. He glanced around the living room. On the mantel was a picture of Lily and Teagan at their college graduation. Teagan had one arm around Lily and they were smiling at the camera in their cap and gown. Teagan's hair was longer in the picture. Much longer. And darker. He wondered briefly if she dyed her hair. McDuffie jumped up on the couch, startling him. The dog had a plush toy skunk in his mouth. He placed the toy on Spencer's lap and nudged his hand. _What did the dog want him to do?_ McDuffie barked and wagged his tail anxiously.

"He wants you to throw it," Lily stated from the kitchen doorway.  
"Oh." Spencer picked up the toy. It was wet and slobbery. _Gross!_ He made a face of disgust as he threw the toy. McDuffie ran after it and jumped back up on the couch, once again placing the toy in his lap.

"Duffers, that's enough," Teagan stated, holding a huge pot in her hands. "Spencer doesn't want to play." The dog whined.  
"Are you ready to go? he asked, standing up from the couch and going to assist her with the large pot.

"Yep," she replied. "I've got this."  
"You sure? I don't want you to trip and fall."  
"I'm not. I promise."

Almost an hour later they pulled up outside J.J.'s home. Teagan was visibly nervous. On the ride over, she had chewed on her fingernails until they were almost nubs.

"Don't worry," Spencer said, taking her hands in his. "They're going to love you."  
"You think so?"  
"I know so. Hopefully you'll like them."  
"I'm sure I will." She stepped out of the car and reached for the pot of shrimp and grits. "Do you think they'll like this?"  
"Will probably will," he replied. "Will is J.J.'s husband. He's from New Orleans, Louisiana. J.J. met him while we were working a case there."  
"Okay." She pressed her lips together in a hard line. He could tell she was nervous. He once again attempted to take the large pot from her. "I've got it," she said. "Thanks though."

"No problem." He walked behind her slightly on the way to the door, in case she tripped. He wished she would let him help. The pot was almost as big as she was. She stopped at the door and waited for him. He reached above her head and knocked on the door. In a few seconds, Will answered the door.  
"Hey Spencer! And who's this lovely lady?"  
"Teagan Wellers," she replied in a small voice.  
"Nice to meet you Teagan. Y'all come on in. Henry's about to bust to see Spencer." They stepped inside the LaMontagne home. There was a small boy who Teagan automatically knew was Henry watching TV on the couch.

"Uncle Spencer!" the boy yelled, rushing to him.  
"Hey there, buddy," Spencer said, kneeling down as the child hugged his knees.  
"Show me a magic twick, Uncle Spencer!"  
"Okay. Just a second." He reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a deck of cards and began to show Henry a magic trick. Teagan smiled. He was absolutely adorable with Henry.  
"Teagan," Will stated. "Would you like me to put that in the kitchen for you?"  
"Oh, I'm sorry!" She laughed. "Yes. Which way is the kitchen?"  
"This way," Will said. Teagan followed him into the kitchen. "So Spencer said you were cooking up one of my favorite dishes, shrimp and grits."  
"Yes sir. I hope y'all like them."  
"I think we will," a petite blonde woman replied, drying a glass with a dishtowel. "Hi! I'm J.J. Spencer's told us so much about you." The woman said as she took the pot of grits from Teagan and placed them on the counter and then extended her hand. Teagan shook her hand.  
"It's nice to meet you. And thank you so much for having me. So, Spencer's your son's godfather?"  
"You're welcome. We're glad you could come. Yeah, Spencer is Henry's godfather. His godmother is on her way, as is the rest of the team."  
"Spencer didn't mention that the entire team was coming," she replied nervously.  
"He didn't say because he didn't know. We're all sort of curious about you." Teagan blushed and nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"Is there anything I can help you with?"  
"No," she smiled. "Feel free to go sit in the living room with Henry and Spence. Does your dish need to heat?"  
"Probably. I'll get those situated and then I'll go in the living room. Where's a spoon?" J.J. handed her a spoon and she stirred the grits. "So Spencer's mentioned me before?" she blushed.  
"Of course," J.J. said. "But he's very private with some things. We're a family, of sorts, so we just wanted to meet the woman who Spence has been seeing so much of."  
"I'm glad to meet all of you." She smiled. She walked back into the living room where Will and Henry were on the couch watching Spencer perform a magic trick.  
"Hey," he smiled. "Do you want to see some physics magic?"  
"Sure," she replied, sitting on the couch by Will.  
"Show her, Uncle Spencer!"  
"Is it your favorite trick?" Teagan asked Henry, who grinned hugely.  
"Yep."  
"_Yes ma'am_," Will corrected.  
"Sorry Daddy. Yes ma'am." Teagan grinned. She remembered her own mother scolding her for that when she was younger.  
"Close your eyes," Spencer stated, reaching into his messenger bag and pulling out a film canister.  
"Why?" she asked.  
"So you won't see his secret," Will replied. Teagan squeezed her eyes shut tightly.  
"Open them," Spencer commanded. She watched as the film canister exploded and took off across the room, hitting a picture hanging on the wall, almost knocking it off. Henry cackled, delighted by the trick. Will just stared at Spencer, his eyebrows raised. Spencer blushed a bright red. Teagan grinned.  
"Physics magic again, Spence?" J.J. asked, stepping into the room and straightening the picture.  
"Yep," he replied timidly.

"Please don't break my furniture," she said as the doorbell rang.  
"Who's that, Mommy?" Henry asked, jumping up from the couch.  
"Probably your Aunt Penelope," she replied. "Let's go see." Spencer stared at J.J.

"You invited the entire team, didn't you?" He asked.  
"Of course," she replied, opening the door. Spencer groaned.

"Aunt Penny!" Henry exclaimed. Teagan glanced up to see a plump blonde woman wearing a bright fuchsia dress with glittery gold heels to accent. Black glasses with rhinestones framed her face. She was carrying a casserole dish. Teagan noted that she was much brighter in person than she was in the picture Spencer had shown her. Spencer reached for Teagan's hand.  
"Hey there!" The brightly colored woman leaned down and kissed Henry's cheek, leaving a mark with her bright red lipstick.  
"Aunt Penny!" He whined. She just rolled her eyes.  
"Hey Will!" She waved. "And Reid! And you must be Teagan." The woman smiled. "Nice to finally meet you. I'm Penelope Garcia." She stuck out her hand.  
"Nice to meet you too. You're the technical analyst, correct?" She asked, shaking Penelope's hand.  
"The one and only. Reid, she's adorable. Your accent is precious. You're from Milledgeville, Georgia, right?"  
"How did you know that?" She grinned, raising her eyebrows. She was almost certain she never mentioned her hometown to Spencer.  
"Honey, I'm a Tech Goddess. I can find anything on anyone."  
"So you Googled me?"  
"You could say that," the woman replied.  
"I don't know whether to be flattered or freaked out."  
"Be flattered," the woman winked. "Jayje, do you need some help in there? I brought a soufflé."  
"No. I think Morgan just pulled up." Spencer squeezed Teagan's hand.  
"Ooh good. Chocolate Thunder just arrived." She walked over to the door and flung it open.  
"Hey Mama," a tall attractive black man carrying a bottle of orange juice said, giving Penelope a kiss on the cheek. He looked even bigger in person than he did in the picture Spencer had shown her.  
"Hey Kid," Morgan said, punching Spencer lightly on the arm. "And you must be the music girl." Teagan blushed.  
"You must be Derek Morgan." He grinned, flashing a row of extremely white teeth.  
"I am," he replied. "So Reid tells us you're a music therapist?" she nodded as doorbell rang again.  
"That's Rossi!" J.J. yelled from the kitchen. Derek stood up and answered the door. Teagan saw the Italian man enter the house with a bottle of champagne under his arm. He greeted everyone before stopping in front of the couch where they both sat holding hands.  
"Hi, I'm David Rossi. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you," he stated, extending his hand. Teagan stood up and shook his hand.  
"Nice to meet you too." Henry raced into the living room.  
"Jack and Mr. Aaron are here!" He exclaimed. Teagan sat back down on the couch as Spencer reached for her hand again, rubbing his thumb over her knuckle.  
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I didn't know the entire team was coming."  
"It's okay," she replied. "I think they're really nice."  
"Stop being so nervous," he said. "They love you. Trust me." She blushed as a serious-looking man wearing khaki pants and a Polo shirt carrying another covered casserole dish walked into the house followed by a small boy no older than 7. Teagan recognized the man instantly as Spencer's supervisor, Aaron Hotchner. She assumed the boy must be his son. She watched from her position on the couch as he greeted everyone in the room. His son ran over to Henry and they raced upstairs.

"Reid," Hotch gave a curt nod. "And you must be Teagan."  
"I am. You're Aaron Hotchner, correct?" The man nodded in response.

"Yes. And my son Jack just went upstairs."  
"Has anyone heard from Blake?" Garcia asked from the kitchen.  
"No, she's not coming," J.J. replied. "She had something else come up." Teagan looked around the room, seeing the many somewhat familiar faces engrossed in conversation with each other. It was somewhat loud. She heard Penelope's loud laugh from the kitchen. It reminded her of her family. She felt a pang of homesickness. She hadn't been able to go home in such a long time, but Thanksgiving would be just around the corner and she could see them then. She called them individually almost daily, but it wasn't the same as seeing them in person.  
"Hey," Spencer said softly, giving her hand a squeeze. "What's the matter?"  
"Nothing," she replied. His soft brown eyes met hers.

"You look upset."  
"I'm just a little homesick. This reminds me of my family get-together's. We're this loud and boisterous too." Spencer chuckled.  
"I'm sorry you miss them," he replied.  
"I'm going home for Thanksgiving in a few weeks, so I'll see them then."  
"Would you like something to drink?" he asked.  
"Sure." He stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. She quickly followed.  
"Hey Spence. Whatcha need?" J.J. asked, scrambling eggs on the stove.  
"I came to get something to drink."  
"Okay. Drinks are in the fridge. Coffee's brewing. Garcia's making mimosas." Spencer turned to Teagan.  
"What would you like?"  
"Coffee," she replied.  
"How do you drink yours?" he asked, as Penelope handed him two mugs.  
"Black, with copious amounts of sugar." Spencer just stared at her in disbelief.  
"No way!" Garcia exclaimed.  
"No way what?" Teagan asked, confused.  
"That's the way Poindexter over here drinks his coffee," she replied.  
"I thought I was the only one who drank it that way." Spencer poured two mugs full of coffee. J.J. placed the sugar canister next to the coffee pot.  
"Don't use up all my sugar," she teased.  
"Will five spoonfuls do it?" Spencer asked.  
"How about six?" He laughed in response and handed her a mug before turning around to fix his coffee. "Thanks Spencer," she said. "This is perfect. Wait, I thought you only drank tea."

"I know. But maybe having a little caffeine won't hurt."  
"Hopefully so," she said, her brow furrowed in worry as he took a sip.  
"I couldn't function if I didn't have coffee," she stated.  
"Me either," Penelope responded.  
"I couldn't survive without wine," J.J. stated.  
"I don't really drink," Teagan said.  
"Never?" Penelope asked.

"I do occasionally, but I don't like the taste of alcohol. I can't find a drink I like." She crinkled her nose in distaste.  
"That's it!" Penelope exclaimed. "You're going to have a mimosa before you leave."  
"I also get drunk easily," she said, gesturing to herself. "I mean, I'm only five feet tall."  
"One mimosa won't get you drunk," Penelope said.  
"Actually for someone her size, it could," Spencer replied.  
"So no mimosa then?" Penelope asked.  
"I'm fine right now," Teagan said, taking another sip of coffee.  
"Maybe later?" Garcia asked.  
"Maybe," she said, as Spencer tugged her arm and dragged her towards Morgan.  
"She's absolutely perfect for Reid," Garcia stated, looking at J.J. "I mean, they're so adorable. Look at them." Both women watched as Spencer reached for the tiny woman's hand and held it tightly.  
"They are," J.J. agreed. "Let's get everyone in the dining room. Food's ready."

Two and a half hours later, Spencer and Teagan said their goodbyes to everyone and left.  
"Your friends are wonderful cooks. I'm so stuffed," Teagan stated, placing the empty pot in the floorboard.  
"Glad you enjoyed it. Your shrimp and grits were delicious, by the way. Did you see that Rossi ate three helpings?"  
"Thank you. And I know! That man can eat! You also didn't tell me that was Will's favorite dish!" She exclaimed, sliding in and buckling her seatbelt. "I also can't wait to go shoe shopping with Penelope next week!" He chuckled.

"I didn't know. And I told you everyone would like you."  
"Well, I didn't know."  
"Did you have fun?"

"Yes. Thank you."  
"No problem." Spencer placed his index finger under her chin, surprising her, and tilted her face towards his. He kissed her briefly before starting the car and driving away.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews! I'm going to post a link for "Prelude to E Minor" on my profile if anybody would like to listen to it. I may not update for a few days, because it's ALMOST CHRISTMAS! I'm super excited. Anyway, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Read and Review, folks!**

Later that evening, Teagan was playing the piano in her apartment, letting off some steam. She was playing her favorite Frédéric Chopin piece, "Prelude in E Minor", when her cell phone began to ring. She didn't recognize the number, but decided to answer it anyway.  
"Hello?" she asked tentatively.  
"Hey, Teagan!" a female voice exclaimed.  
"Who is this?" she asked, confused.  
"The Goddess of all things technical, the one and only Penelope Garcia!"  
"Hey, Penelope!" She chuckled. She had forgotten she had given the bubbly blonde her number. "Whatcha need?"  
"Well, firstly, to confirm that we are indeed going shoe shopping on Saturday."  
"Of course!"  
"And secondly, I have a huge favor to ask."  
"And what would that be?"  
"Well, it's a certain genius' birthday on Wednesday and we—the team—are throwing him a surprise party. We need you to be the decoy."  
"It's Spencer's birthday?"  
"Yeah. He didn't tell you?"  
"No!" She exclaimed.  
"Well, now you know. Anyway, we need you to be the decoy."  
"Won't I be sort of obvious?"  
"No. Just do something so you get him to Tosca at 7 sharp."  
"What's Tosca?"  
"It's a very classy Italian restaurant in downtown D.C. We're trying to make up for last year. We were complete and total jerkwads and forgot his birthday."  
"You forgot his birthday?"  
"Yeah. It's a long story. But he's forgiven us for it, I think. But anyway, this year, we're going to pretend that we forgot it again. Just somehow get him to Tosca, and we'll surprise him."  
"Penelope?"  
"Yes, Sweetness?"  
"What kind of things does Spencer like? I mean, I really don't know him that well."  
"Hmm. Well, he loves Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Star Wars."  
"I've never watched any of those things."  
"Oh, honey, how have you lived without ever watching those?"  
"I have always meant to watch Doctor Who, but I just never got around to it. All my friends in college watched it, though."  
"We've got to hang out and watch it sometime. Anyway, I digress. I've gotten him a TARDIS mug for his birthday, so if you get him something Doctor Who related, don't get him a mug."  
"I have no idea what to get him. I really don't."  
"Be creative," Penelope stated. "But you could give him a pair of socks, and he'd probably be over the moon about it."  
"Okay. Thanks, Penelope."  
"Anytime, Sweetness!"

Teagan placed her phone on the lid of the piano and continued playing. She was still frustrated. Now his birthday was coming up and she had no idea what to get him. She hardly knew him! Wait! She knew exactly what she was going to get him. She raced into her bedroom and grabbed her laptop, anxious to begin on his gift.

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

**5:45 p.m.: Wednesday, October 9, 2013:**

"Wow, Teagan. You, um, look really nice," Spencer stated, watching her exit her bedroom, fastening her earrings. She was wearing a black satin knee-length dress with a sweetheart neckline, a deep purple sash accenting her tiny waist. She tottered on her black stiletto heels. "Careful," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder to steady her. "Are you sure you're going to be warm enough in that?"  
"I have a jacket," she giggled. "Wow," she said, giving him the once over. "I get the whole package with you. Tall, smart, and handsome." Spencer blushed, staring down at his black Converse. "Your tie is loose." She reached up and tightened his tie. "Much better."  
"Thanks. Are you almost ready to go?"  
"Yeah, let me go say goodbye to Lily and McDuffie." She walked over to Lily's bedroom door and knocked.  
"Yeah?" Teagan poked her head in the room.  
"We're about to go, so I'll see you later, okay?"  
"Okay. Wow! You look gorgeous! Tell Dr. Genius to keep his hands to himself."  
"Shut up, Lily!" Lily winked. McDuffie came up to Teagan and nudged her foot. She squatted down and petted him as he licked her face.  
"Thank you for the kisses, Duffers! Oh my goodness! I-I love you too, buddy! Okay, get off!" She pushed him down and started to stand back up, but didn't catch her balance and fell backwards with a loud thump. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. She said a silent prayer of thanks that her dress hadn't fallen over her head. Lily laughed loudly.  
"Ar-are you okay?" She giggled.  
"Yeah," Teagan replied, standing up and brushing off her dress.  
"Teagan, is everything okay?" Spencer asked from the couch, sending both girls into further fits of laughter.  
"Yeah, Spencer. I just fell."  
"Are you all right?"  
"Of course. 'Bye Lily. 'Bye McDuffie!"  
"'Bye, Doofus!" Teagan walked back into the living room and collected her coat from the back of the dining room chair before sliding it on.  
"Okay, I'm ready!" They both exited the apartment and Spencer held the door to his Volvo Amazon open for her. "Thank you. Hey, by the way, your car is awesome. In case I haven't mentioned that," she said, sliding inside.  
"Thank you, and you have." He slid inside next to her. On the way to Tosca, they drove in almost complete silence. He seemed to be really upset. Teagan assumed it was because everyone "forgot" his birthday. Just before they parked the car in a parking deck, he slammed his hand against the steering wheel.  
"What's the matter?" she asked.  
"Nothing," he snapped angrily. "Let's just get your business dinner over with." She smiled to herself. She had convinced him to go to Tosca under the false pretense of a business dinner. He stepped of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. She walked around the car, stepping in front of him and grabbing both of his hands.  
"Come on! Don't be stressed. My colleagues are going to be so jealous because I have the most handsome date there." He blushed and looked down at their intertwined hands. They walked in silence for a while before reaching Tosca. Penelope sent her a text earlier saying they were all in the first room to the right. They walked into the dimly lit restaurant and she took an immediate right.

"SURPRISE!" Six voices shouted in unison. Teagan watched as Spencer's face broke into a huge smile as six people went to greet him. He turned around to face her.  
"Y-yo-you knew about this the whole time, didn't you?" He asked.  
"Guilty!" She replied, grinning hugely. "Happy Birthday Spencer!"  
"How did-who did—how?" he exclaimed.  
"She was the decoy, Spence!" J.J. said. "We all felt rotten about last year, so we're making it up to you this year. Happy Birthday!" J.J. leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. After everyone had individually wished him a happy birthday, Spencer leaned towards Teagan.  
"Thanks," he said softly in her ear. "Sorry about earlier."  
"No problem," she whispered back. "Happy Birthday." He grabbed her hand and they headed towards the table where everyone was sitting.

Two hours later, Teagan and Spencer stepped out of the restaurant, both of their arms laden with presents.  
"Spencer, your friends are amazing."  
"I think so too. You know, for a moment there, I thought they had forgotten my birthday again."  
"Well, they didn't this year. And it's obvious they care about you." He smiled. They walked back to his car, filling up the backseat with all of his presents. He was the most amused with Garcia's gift. Rossi had given him an original copy of George Orwell's 1984. Morgan had given him a new tie. J.J. and Will had given him a monogrammed pen. Hotch had given him a new wallet to hold his credentials in. Teagan still hadn't given him her gift. She slid into the passenger seat and grabbed her purse, pulling out a rather crudely wrapped package while he slid into the driver's seat.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the package.  
"Your birthday present, silly goose."  
"You didn't have to get me anything."  
"Hush, you!" She stated, elbowing him before handed him the package. He stared at her before he opened her gift. It was a burned CD.  
"Thanks, Teagan," he said. "I really wish I had a CD player in here." He gestured to his dashboard.  
"Well, you can just listen to it when you get home. No big deal."  
"Did you make this?"  
"Yes," she replied, instantly feeling stupid. "I, um, recorded myself playing all of your favorite Beethoven and Mozart pieces. I threw in a couple of Chopin pieces too." She turned her head away to look out the window, slightly embarrassed. Maybe she should have gotten him something else. But this seemed like a great idea at the time. Maybe he would like it. She bit her nails nervously. It wasn't nearly as extravagant as the other gifts had been.  
"Wait, you recorded yourself playing?"  
"Yes."  
"Wow! Teagan, that's amazing. Thank you. I can't wait to hear it. Would you, um, uh, like to go to my place to, um listen to it?" He stammered and blushed. She just nodded in response. They drove past the road that led to her apartment before they turned into another complex, one closer to the Metro station than hers. She stepped out into the cool autumn air and followed behind Spencer into his apartment while carrying some of his presents. He bounced up and down on his heels impatiently while they waited for the elevator. When he opened the door to his apartment, she instantly smiled to herself. This was like a book-lover's paradise. Books lined every inch of one wall. Two were lying at an angle on his coffee table. On his desk was a copy of The Narrative of John Smith.  
"Nice place," she said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but for a man, your house is amazingly clean."  
"I like to keep things neat and orderly," he replied.  
"Remind me never to move in with you. My life is unorganized chaos, but I manage to function just fine." He grinned before stepping over to his entertainment center that held a TV and CD player. She glanced around his apartment. His apartment was devoid of any pictures except for the one on his entertainment center, of a small boy with glasses that covered his face entirely, while a woman stood behind him, smiling. He caught her staring.  
"That's my mother and me when I was five," He replied, looking slightly saddened.  
"So that's your mom?" She asked, reaching for his hand.  
"Yeah."  
"Are you close with her?" He nodded.  
"You know I write her a letter every day?"  
"You do?"  
"Yeah. I'm just hoping that makes up for me hardly ever visiting her," he said, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly in a wistful smile.  
"Why don't you visit her?" Teagan asked, before she realized what a personal question she had just asked. "Wait, forget I asked that. I'm sorry. That's none of my business."  
"I'm not ashamed of my mother. She's sick. It's just hard to visit her. I mean, I hate admitting that I had to have her committed, but there was nothing more I could do for her," he stated, his eyes misting a little.  
"Spencer, you don't blame yourself, do you? I mean, you can't fix everyone."  
"I know I can't, but she is my mother."  
"And she loves you. And she may not realize it, but you did what you did because you love her. Sometimes what's best for someone may not be what they want," she said softly, placing her hand against his cheek. He smiled slightly before he placed the CD inside the CD player and hit play. He sat down on his couch and gestured for her to join him. The intro to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata filled the air. He grinned hugely.  
"Wow, you play beautifully. Why aren't you doing this professionally?"  
"I am," she responded giggling, before resting her head on his shoulder. He jerked slightly at the unexpected touch. They sat there for a moment, listening to her play the second movement of the Moonlight Sonata. "Do you like it, Spencer? I really didn't know what to get you."  
"I do," he replied. "I think this is about the best birthday I've had."  
"Really?" He smiled in response, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Teagan turned her head into his neck and began nuzzling it. Spencer let out a small giggle. Teagan grinned against his neck.  
"Are you ticklish, Dr. Reid?" She asked before she kissed her way up his neck, hearing his breath catch. She kissed his chin, both cheeks, and his forehead, stopping just short of his mouth. His soft brown eyes met hers. She traced the circles under his eyes with her fingertips.  
"Do you ever sleep well?"  
"When I don't have nightmares," he replied, leaning forward, his lips barely brushing hers. She gently pressed her lips to his. Spencer began to kiss her back, shy at first, but then slowly gaining confidence. She knotted her fingers in his hair and tried to deepen the kiss, but he suddenly pulled back.  
"Teagan, I'm sorry. I, um, I just can't." She mashed her lips together in a hard line. He saw the sting of rejection in her eyes.  
"You don't like me?" she asked, her voice trembling.  
"Yes, I do. Very much, but I just can't do this right now."  
"What did I do wrong?" she asked.  
"Nothing," he replied trying to reassure her. "You did nothing wrong." How could he explain to her that it wasn't her fault? _No, definitely not her fault._ It was just that when she tried to kiss him like that, it caused him to have a flashback to Diane. He bit the inside of his cheek. _Maybe I should just tell her. No. I don't want her to feel sorry for me.  
_He watched as her expression faltered and she scooted away from him on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings, but what should he say? For once, he was speechless. Should he hold her? Should he try kissing her again? No. Even he knew that was a bad idea. What should he do? He stared at her for a few minutes in silence pondering what he should do.

"Please take me home, Spencer," she stated softly. "Please."  
"Okay," he replied, still unsure what to say. He switched off the CD player. He went to reach for her hand, but she kept her arms crossed across her chest on the way out of his apartment. They didn't speak for the entirety of the drive back to her apartment. She kept her arms folded over her chest and stared out the window. Spencer was still fumbling for words. She stepped out of the car when he pulled into a parking space outside her complex.  
"Happy Birthday, Spencer," she said. "Hope it was great. Have a good night," she said, smiling slightly. He watched as she walked into the apartment before driving away.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! I've been writing this off and on for the past two days. Hope you enjoy it! Read and review, please! :)**

Teagan entered her apartment quietly and McDuffie instantly came to greet her.  
"Hey buddy!" She reached down as the dog jumped up in her arms and licked her face excitedly. "Oh gross. Please don't lick my mouth. Blech!" She pushed the small, wiry furred dog off her and stood up. She glanced out her window. Spencer was gone. She sighed. She knew she was being ridiculous, but why couldn't he tell her what was wrong? She just wanted him to trust her. She hoped that she hadn't ruined his birthday. God, why was she so stupid? She had gotten so absorbed in what she was feeling, that she hadn't even thought about how Spencer was feeling, but that was the whole problem. He wasn't telling her what was wrong. She reached inside her purse and grabbed her phone. She needed to apologize. She dialed his number and waited for him to pick up. He didn't. _Hmm. Well, Teagan, you've probably just successfully scared off a really nice guy because you get mad at the slightest things. _She sat her purse on her piano bench and walked into her room. She flopped down on the bed face-down, totally exhausted. She hoped Spencer would call her back. She needed to talk to him. She closed her eyes and instantly fell asleep.  
**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

Spencer drove home thinking about his evening. He couldn't believe his friends! They pretended to forget his birthday, only to surprise him with the best birthday party he'd ever had. In fact, this was just about the best birthday he'd ever had. He'd been able to spend it with his friends and someone special. Well, she had been someone special. She probably wasn't going to speak to him ever again after tonight. God, why couldn't he just tell her about Maeve? J.J. had once said she was scared of admitting her relationship with Will to the team because the instant she admitted she was in a relationship, it all became "real". Real as in you weren't just responsible for yourself anymore. Real as in you were unconditionally and totally willing to give up your life for that person. He had offered to trade his life for Maeve's. He used to think that he would never meet someone who could make him feel like Maeve had, but Teagan was beginning to awaken feelings in him that he had never felt before. Not even with Maeve. No matter how he tried to deny it, he knew he was falling for her. He wouldn't call it love yet. He didn't know her well enough, but there was definitely potential for something to happen.  
He liked Teagan. A lot. He wanted to tell her more about his life, but he just didn't want to get hurt emotionally. Lila had hurt him more than he would care to admit. Lila was an actress in L.A. who was being stalked by someone. She kissed him in the pool while he was supposed to be protecting her. That had been his first kiss of his life. After the team had solved the case, she told him to give her a call sometime. Two days after he left L.A., he'd called her, stammering and stuttering the entire time. He had been so nervous. He was in complete awe when she invited him to come visit her the next time he was available. She called him almost every night and he was actually starting to believe she liked him. When he was able to fly out to see her a month later, he discovered she was dating someone, another guy that was currently acting on the show with her. She had never been interested in him to start with. So transference was the entire explanation for what happened in the pool. He had assumed it all along.

When Austin, the bartender from Atlanta had called, Morgan had urged him to "see where it goes", but Spencer was so afraid of being rejected, he never pursued it. Then there was Maeve. Maeve had been his one true chance at happiness, or so he thought. Now he had Teagan, but he had managed to screw that up. If he could just get over his fear of rejection. What if Teagan found out all the undesirable and awful things from his past? Would she still like him? She already knew about his mother, but it didn't seem to affect her. _Maybe she'll understand if you give her a chance._

His phone rang then, but he chose to ignore it. He was tired and didn't have the energy to talk to someone this late at night. He didn't care if it was a case. He was going to go to sleep and deal with it in the morning. He glanced at the pile of gifts stacked on his coffee table and smiled to himself. Teagan was right. He did have amazing friends who loved him. He walked over to the CD player and hit the play button again, continuing Teagan's CD. She did play beautifully. He noticed the 3rd movement of the Moonlight Sonata was absent. He assumed because that was the most difficult movement of the sonata to play. He lay back on the couch and continued to listen. A Chopin piece was next. He closed his eyes in order to focus on the music, but then drifted off to sleep instead.  
Hours later, he awoke, unaware of the time. His body was stiff from sleeping in such a cramped position. He stood up and stretched. His knee twinged slightly, but he ignored it. He glanced at his watch. It was only 1:30 a.m. He must have slept heavier than he thought. It felt much later than that. He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for bed when it hit him. Terrible, intense pain struck his head. He groaned, shutting his eyes against the light that was suddenly much too bright. He opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the Riboflavin and Magnesium tablets. His hands shook as he opened the bottles. He was blinded by the pain. He managed to swallow the two tablets and stumble into his bedroom, collapsing on the bed. He whimpered as his head throbbed. The pain was so great that it caused the edges of his vision to turn gray. Darkness came and he knew no more.

**CMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

Garcia awoke, slightly hungover from last night's festivities.  
"Ugh," she said. Her mouth felt fuzzy. "Why did I drink so much wine? I can't drink wine." Her phone rang.  
"This better be good," she snapped.  
"We've got a case," Hotch said. "Call everyone and tell them to be here in an hour."  
"Yes, sir." She dialed J.J. first, then Morgan. Reid was next, but he wouldn't answer his phone. That was strange. She dialed Blake, followed by Rossi before attempting to reach Reid again. He still didn't answer. She was starting to get worried. She waited five more minutes before dialing his number again. No response. She dialed Morgan again.  
"Hey Baby Girl," he said. "Couldn't get enough so you came back for more?"  
"Reid won't answer his phone."  
"So?"  
"I've tried 4 times in the past 30 minutes. He's not answering."  
"You think he's with Teagan?"  
"Hmm. Maybe. I'm going to call her and check. I'm worried about him. 'Bye Hot Stuff." She hung up the phone and dialed Teagan, reaching her on the second ring.  
"Hey, Penelope! How're you?"  
"Hey Sweetness! Is Reid with you?"  
"No, why?"  
"He won't answer his phone. And we've got a case. I just wondered if he was with you. Sorry to have bothered you."

"That's strange. We kinda had a fight last night, so I called to apologize and he wouldn't answer his phone then. I assumed he didn't want to talk to me or was tired. Do you think something could have happened to him?"  
"I don't know," Garcia replied. "But Reid usually answers his phone. I'm a little worried."  
"Maybe he's in the shower?" she asked.  
"I've tried him 4 times in the past thirty minutes. He's not answering. I'm going to try him again." There was silence on the other line. "No luck," she stated a few seconds later. "I'm starting to get worried."  
"I wasn't worried last night, but now I am. Should I go check on him? He lives a few blocks away from me."  
"Could you?" Garcia asked. "I'm on my way too. And I'm going to call Morgan. If Reid won't answer the door, I'm making Morgan bust it down."  
"Okay," Teagan replied. "I'm on my way." Teagan drove to Spencer's apartment complex feeling slightly ridiculous. _What if he's absolutely fine? We're going to look like idiots_. _But if he's not…. Oh, God. Please let him be okay_. She raced into the complex and pushed the elevator button several times and tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for it to arrive. When it did, she hurried up to his apartment and knocked on the door.  
"Spencer? Spencer, are you okay?" No answer. "Garcia sent me. You're not answering your phone, so we're starting to get worried. Spencer?" No answer. She saw Morgan rounding the corner.  
"Hey, Little Bit," he said. "Is he not answering?"  
"No," she asked, rubbing her hands together anxiously.  
"I'm gonna bust down the door, okay? Stand back." She stood back and watched as Morgan kicked the door down. She followed quickly behind Morgan. The apartment looked much the same as it had the night before. She noticed the pillows on the couch were slightly rumpled. She assumed he had slept there.  
"Hey Reid? Reid?" Morgan asked, stepping around to the hallway. Teagan noticed that the bathroom light was on. Morgan stepped inside. The cabinet was open and two bottles were open, the pills inside littering the tile floor. "Reid?" Teagan bit her lip as Morgan opened a door to a room Teagan had never seen, but she automatically knew it was his bedroom. She gasped as she saw Spencer sprawled out on the bed, his skin a pale white, slightly tinged with gray. Morgan checked for a pulse.  
"He's alive," Morgan said. "Call an ambulance. I'm going to revive him." Teagan heard heels clicking in the hallway as she dialed for an ambulance. Morgan began to revive him.

"Oh my God, Reid!" Garcia exclaimed, stepping into the room. "He's not…"  
"No," Morgan said. "He's coming around." Teagan breathed a sigh of relief as she hung up the phone.  
"Paramedics are on their way, Derek. They'll be here in about 10 minutes." Derek nodded once as Spencer's eyes flickered open.  
"Morgan?" he asked weakly. "What are you doing here?"  
"You weren't answering your phone. Garcia got worried. Do you remember what happened, Kid?"  
"I had another migraine and I guess I must have passed out." Teagan walked over and grabbed his hand.  
"Hey, Spencer," she said softly. He squeezed her hand lightly. "The paramedics are on their way."  
"I don't need to go to the hospital," he protested, sitting up on the side of the bed, his head beginning to swim.  
"Kid, you're going," Morgan stated.  
"But-"  
"No!" Morgan said, pushing him back down. "Lay down." Spencer began to sit back up, but Morgan pushed him back down.  
"Lay down, Genius," Garcia ordered from the door. "You gave us quite a scare, you know that? I thought you were dead!" Spencer cast his eyes downward. His head throbbed still. He did as Morgan and Garcia had ordered and lay back against his pillows. The room spun and his stomach lurched violently.  
"Morgan?" he asked weakly. "Can you help me to the bathroom? I think I'm going to be sick."  
"Yeah, Kid. C'mon." Morgan half dragged, half carried Spencer to the bathroom. Teagan heard him vomiting violently.  
"Is he going to be okay?" she asked softly.  
"I don't know," Penelope replied. "I hope so." They suddenly heard footsteps in the living room. The paramedics had arrived. Morgan and Garcia went to greet them. Teagan walked into the bathroom. Spencer was sitting with his back against the bathtub, his eyes were closed, a cloth against his head. Teagan saw a syringe on the countertop and a small vial of B2. She assumed he had Morgan give him an injection. The paramedics pushed her aside and rushed to Spencer. He protested feebly while the medics tended to him. They placed him onto a stretcher and loaded him into an ambulance. Teagan felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around.  
"Hey," Garcia said softly. Without saying another word, the woman wrapped her arms around Teagan in a comforting embrace. Derek stepped in.  
"Hey," he said. "Paramedics said he should be fine. He's dehydrated and they're going to run some tests. Little Bit, Penelope's going to drive you to the hospital to see Reid, okay? I'll be there in a bit. I've got to make some phone calls first." She nodded and Garcia led her to her car.  
"This, my dear, is Esther!" she said, announcing her car with a flourish.  
"What's it with you and Spencer and old cars? This is a beautiful car."  
"You hear that, Esther? She thinks you're beautiful."  
"Is Spencer going to be okay?" She asked timidly before sliding in the passenger seat.  
"I certainly hope so," Garcia said. "You're good for him, you know?"  
"Well, thanks. Although I acted like a fool last night."  
"How so?"  
"I feel like he doesn't trust me, so I just completely shut down and didn't talk to him last night. I called to apologize and he didn't answer and then this morning…"  
"Don't worry," Garcia's perfectly manicured hand patted hers reassuringly. "Reid'll be fine. I know he can be annoying as hell sometimes, but he is a complete and total sweetheart. He grows on people. He has a great capacity to love, but he won't open up to people because he's scared of being rejected."  
"Thanks, Penelope. I hope he's feeling a bit better. I need to apologize for being an such an ass last night."  
"He'll forgive you," Garcia patted her hand again. Garcia parked the car in a parking space near the front entrance and they walked to the front desk.  
"We're here to see Dr. Spencer Reid," Penelope stated.  
"Just a second," the lady replied, typing rapidly. "Are you his family?"  
"Yes," Garcia replied, without hesitation. The nurse eyed the two of them suspiciously.  
"He's being seen by a doctor now. Wait over there and someone will be with you shortly." The nurse pointed to a seating area. They both went over to the seating area and waited. Derek stepped into the hospital, looking around. Garcia motioned to him and he came and sat next to her.  
"Hey Baby Girl! Any news on Reid?"  
"He's being seen by a doctor now. We have to wait. You call Hotch?"  
"I called everybody. Hotch said he was going ahead with the case. It's local, so everyone will be nearby."  
"Yeah, Hotch briefed me slightly when he called me this morning." Derek looked at Teagan.  
"You feeling okay, Little Bit?" She just nodded. "Look, Reid's going to be fine." A doctor appeared in the seating area.  
"Are you here for Dr. Reid?" He glanced at the mismatched group. They all nodded.  
"I'm Dr. Pope. He's slightly dehydrated, but we're taking care of that. We're going to run a CAT scan and MRI and see if we can find anything. Although, the results of past tests say that the symptoms are psychosomatic."  
"That's bull," Morgan replied. "The man was passed out for God knows how long. His headaches last for days. Don't stand there and tell me that his symptoms are psychosomatic."  
"I'm just saying there's a possibility that they could be. We're going to run some tests soon and find out for sure. Would you like to see him?"  
"Yes," they all replied. The doctor led them back to a small exam room. Spencer was lying on a hospital bed, covered with blankets, an IV attached to his arm. Teagan noticed some color had come back to cheeks. He didn't look as weak. He smiled when he saw her.  
"Hey," he said weakly.  
"Hey yourself. How are you feeling?" She asked, standing at the foot of his bed.  
"Eh. Head still hurts, but it's getting better," he said, wincing slightly. Teagan knew he was lying. "You don't need to be here. Go back to work."  
"Oh hush, you. You gave us all quite a scare," she said, gesturing to Garcia and Morgan. "I didn't mean to," he replied. "Please go back to work. All of you. I'll be fine."  
"Kid, none of us are going anywhere until you're cleared to go home."  
"But-"  
"No buts," Garcia argued. "We're staying and that's final." Reid sighed. He couldn't argue with any of them. He was glad they were here though. He snuck a quick glance at Teagan. She must have been getting ready to leave for work when Garcia called her because only one eye was lined with eyeliner and her shoes didn't match again. He smirked.  
"What's so amusing, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asked.  
"Nothing," he replied glancing at Teagan. Teagan looked down at her shoes.  
"Not again!" she exclaimed. "Why can't I match my shoes around you? But this time it's your fault." She pointed at him.  
"How's it my fault?" he asked.  
"I was in such a hurry that I didn't pay attention to what I was putting on my feet. Oh my God! Did I lock the door? Probably not. And crap! I never called Gene to tell him I wasn't coming in today. Shit!" Morgan chuckled.  
"Do you want me to call your boss, Teagan?" Garcia asked.  
"No thanks. I'll call him, although I'm probably fired after today."  
"You won't be fired," Morgan said. "If you let Garcia work her magic."  
"Here Garcia," she handed the technical analyst her phone.  
"No thanks, doll. I've already got it," Garcia replied, winking as she stepped out of the room to make the call.  
"How does she do that?" she asked Morgan incredulously. Morgan just shrugged.  
"You want some coffee?" he asked Teagan. She shook her head. "I'm going to get some if you want it."  
"I'm fine, Derek, thanks."  
"Okay." Derek stepped out of the room leaving Spencer and her alone together. She turned to face him.  
"I'm sorry," they both said simultaneously before laughing.  
"What are you sorry for?" he asked.  
"Because I acted like a jerk last night. It's just that I just want you to trust me, Spencer. I like you and I like where this is going. But if you don't trust me, we can't further this relationship."  
"I like you too, Teagan. It's just, um, uh, there are a lot of bad things in my past, things I don't want to delve into today, but I'm scared you won't like, um, what you find out." For once she didn't know what to say. She bit her lip. _What "bad things"? He said he didn't want to talk about it right now, so don't._  
"Don't worry about that now, Spencer. Just rest."  
"But-" She interrupted him by pressing her lips to his. She heard him sigh and he began to kiss her back, slowly gaining confidence.  
"Ahem," Morgan cleared his throat. Both of them pulled back, completely red with embarrassment. Morgan grinned smugly before taking a sip of coffee. "What do we have here?"  
"Shut up, Morgan!" Reid said, turning a brighter red. Garcia stepped back in the room.  
"Okay, Teagan. Everything is taken care of."  
"Thanks, Penelope! I could have taken care of it, though."  
"It was no problem." Teagan beamed at Penelope. Spencer began rubbing his temples.  
"Spencer, you need to rest," Teagan stated. "Why don't we all go for a little while, okay?'  
"You can stay," he replied.  
"No, Kid, she's right. We'll leave. We'll be in the waiting room," Derek replied. Spencer watched as they all left. He decided that he did need to rest. He adjusted his pillow, the entire movement causing his head to throb. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and began to doze.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey everyone! I promise things are about to get more dramatic. I feel like the story is getting a teensy bit boring, but trust me, it'll get better. I hope. The story is going far from the direction I had originally planned, but I like it better this way. Please tell me if you feel Spencer is OOC, or if Morgan and Garcia are OOC as well. Also please tell me if I'm rushing things between Teagan and Spencer. I'm so glad people are enjoying Teagan. I'm trying not to make her a Mary Sue, so tell me if she is becoming one. Anyway, read and review, folks. XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

Spencer awoke to the sound of footsteps outside his room. A nurse appeared.  
"Hello, Dr. Reid. We're going to take you back for a CAT scan right now, okay? Can you get into this wheelchair for me?" Spencer groaned inwardly. He was not five years old. He just wanted to get out of here and go home. There was a case and the team needed him. He got in the wheelchair reluctantly; the movement making his head throb. He knew they weren't going to find anything wrong with him physically. They never did. The nurse wheeled him down the hallway and pushed him into room to begin his CT scan.  
**CMCMCMCMCM**

Teagan sat across from Derek and Penelope, her knees drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. After they had left Spencer, they were directed to a much smaller waiting room. They kept receiving phone calls from their team members asking about Spencer. Garcia had called someone named Kevin and told him to take over for her while she gone. All three simultaneously turned their heads to the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. A nurse stepped into the room.

"Hi. Dr. Reid is back from his CAT scan and is now being prepped for a MRI. As soon as that's over, we'll just have to see the results of both tests before the doctor decides whether or not he should go home or stay here overnight for observation. You can see him then." The nurse walked back through the double doors.  
"What do you think causes Reid's migraines?" Derek asked Penelope.  
"I think they're stress-related," Teagan piped up.  
"How so?" Derek asked.  
"Look at y'all's job. Y'all see scary things right?" They both nodded in response. "You don't work normal hours? You deal with psychological trauma as well as physical at times, right? Your body can only handle so much stress at one time. Some people's bodies have different ways of reacting to stress. Maybe this is how Spencer's body reacts to the amount of stress he's under. I honestly don't think he realizes when he's stressed. I also wonder if I'm the cause of his migraine."  
"Oh honey, no!" Garcia replied. "I don't think one little argument could have caused a migraine of that capacity. He's been having these for a while hasn't he, Hot Stuff?"  
"Yeah," Derek nodded. "But I think Teagan's on to something."  
"Music therapy is beneficial for him, I think," Teagan said. "Gene said he hasn't been to many sessions lately, but I wonder if the relaxation techniques Gene asked him to try at home stopped working."  
"Wait a second," Penelope stated. "He's been seeing Gene? As in Gene Richardson, your boss?"  
"Yes. I met him because of music therapy sessions. Well, sort of. He hasn't told you that he's been attending music therapy?"  
"No," Penelope replied. "Has he told you Morgan?"  
"Not a thing. What is it that you do in music therapy, Little Bit? You just strum a guitar and Reid sings along?" Penelope laughed.  
"Reid singing! Oh my God!"  
"No," Teagan replied. "It's not like that at all. I have only worked with him for one session, but Gene has had him on the Somatron for weeks now. I even think they may have done some guided relaxation activities."  
"What the hell is a Somatron?"  
"A chair that vibrates to music, to put it in layman's terms."  
"Like a massage chair?" Garcia asked.  
"Yes and no. It's designed like a massage chair, but you really aren't massaged. The chair just vibrates along to music. It sounds odd, but it's quite soothing."  
"Are you classically trained in music?" Derek asked.  
"Yes," she replied.  
"Then can you tell me what note this is?" Derek sang one long note.  
"No," Teagan replied, laughing. "I could if I had perfect pitch, but sadly, I do not." She sighed dramatically.

"What's perfect pitch?"  
"The insane ability to be able to identify pitch. It's something you're born with. At least I think so."  
"So how many instruments do you play?" Garcia asked. "I took up the ukulele a while ago, but I'm not very good at it."  
"I can play every instrument proficiently. By proficiently, I mean I can play one or two chords per instrument. The instruments I play best are the piano, guitar, and the ukulele."  
"Teach me your ways!" Garcia exclaimed a little too loudly. Teagan laughed.  
"Sure," she replied. "Does Spencer play any instruments? He's never said."  
"Rossi said once that he played the piano while on a case," Derek said. "But I'm not sure, though."

"Interesting," Teagan replied.

**CMCMCMCMCM**

Spencer pushed back against his pillows, propping up on his elbows. _When was he going to be able to leave? _He needed to help with the case. He heard the sound of footsteps down the hallway and a doctor appeared.

"Hello, Dr. Reid. We rushed the results of your CAT scan and MRI. They were both inconclusive. Dr. Reid, we can find nothing physically wrong with you," Dr. Pope said. "Your symptoms are psychosomatic. That's all there is to it. You're free to go whenever you wish. I'll have the nurse remove your IV." The doctor left the room.

Spencer stared stony-faced at the door. Of course they wouldn't find anything. He knew the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia probably as much if not more than any medical doctor. He knew he was past the age of typical onset in males, but he also knew that late onset could occur in some people. He was afraid of developing schizophrenia. So afraid. The one thing people admired him for, his brain, would no longer be valuable. He knew what the mentally ill were treated like. They were feared. Some people thought that if someone had a mental illness, they had the potential to be ruthless killers. Naturally, in his job, he had to kill people, but it wasn't something he enjoyed. The first person he had ever killed, Phillip Dowd, shook him more than he cared to admit. He now saw himself as no better than any of the monsters he hunted. He knew that sometimes it was kill or be killed in this job. That had been the case with Tobias Hankel. If he hadn't shot Tobias…..he shuddered. He'd be dead right now. A nurse knocked on the door, startling him from his thoughts.

"Hi, Dr. Reid," the nurse said. "I'm here to take out your IV and then you are free to go. Your family is outside." The way she said the word family implied that she knew that they weren't his biological family and they weren't. However, they were more family to him than his family had ever been. He still didn't speak to his father at all. He didn't care what Garcia said. He didn't care if his father had kept tabs on him over the years. Keeping tabs wasn't the same as being there. Everyone he loved had abandoned him at some point in his life, whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. He quickly changed out of his hospital gown after the nurse left and into his clothes from last night. He was in desperate need of a shower. He was also glad his head had almost completely quit hurting. It was now a dull ache.

He stepped outside in the hallway, surprised to see Garcia, Morgan and Teagan standing there. Teagan stood off to the side, looking anxious and worried, but instantly beaming when she saw him.

"Hey, Magic Man. How are you feelin'?" She asked.  
"Better," he replied.  
"Magic Man?" Morgan grinned.  
"Oh hush, Hot Stuff. It's cute," Garcia replied. "Glad you're feeling better. What did the doctor say?'  
"Same thing they all do. They can't find anything," he said, frowning slightly.  
"That's bullshit!" Morgan exclaimed.  
"It is!" Garcia stated. "I mean-"  
"Look, there's nothing else you can do. Can one of you take me home?"  
"Yeah," Derek stated. "You can ride with me."  
"Thanks, Morgan."  
"No problem, Pretty Boy."

Forty-five minutes later, they all arrived back at Spencer's apartment. Everyone was hungry, so while Garcia and Morgan argued over what to eat for dinner, Spencer went to take a shower. Teagan sat on his couch, humming quietly to herself. It had been a long day. She yawned involuntarily.

"Sleepy?" Penelope asked.  
"Yeah," she replied. "It's been a long day."  
"It has been. Thank you, by the way."  
"For what?"  
"For staying. He may not show it, but I know it means a lot to him."

"I'm worried about him."  
"I know. I am too. We're going to pick-up dinner. Be back in a bit."  
"Great! What did y'all decide on?"  
"Indian. Reid's favorite."  
"Chicken tandoori?"  
"Yep. How did you know?"  
"We had dinner at his favorite Indian restaurant one night."  
"Oh, you two are precious." Garcia patted her shoulder before stepping outside with Morgan. Teagan began picking at a loose thread on her jeans. Spencer stepped into the room, his hair still wet from his shower.  
"Hey, Teagan," he said, yawning.  
"Hey, Spencer," she said. "How's your head?"  
"Much better."  
"We're having your favorite for dinner. Garcia and Morgan went to pick it up."  
"Good, I'm starving."  
"Me too," She replied, as Spencer came and sat down by her on the couch. "I'm glad you're feeling better."  
"Me too. Thanks for staying," he said softly. "You, um, didn't have to."  
"I wanted to. You had me worried."  
"I'm sorry."  
"It's not your fault. You were sick." She rested her head against his shoulder. He smelled wonderful, like clean soap, shampoo, and aftershave. He hesitated for a moment before he wrapped his arm around her. She yawned again.  
"Why don't you rest for a bit? At least until dinner arrives?"  
"I'm fine." She yawned again.  
"Just rest. You've been worried about me all day and you haven't been able to rest. You need to sleep."  
"You're not the boss of me," she teased, grinning.  
"Maybe not, but you do need to sleep," he said, yawning. "Apparently, so do I." She curled up against his chest with his arm around her. She kissed his cheek before closing her eyes and falling asleep almost instantly. Spencer chuckled to himself, looking down at the sleeping woman in his arms. _How on earth did I wind up with someone like her? _He really had no clue. He pulled her tighter against him and leaned forward and cautiously kissed the top of her head. She didn't even stir. He was becoming more confident with her and around her. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, closed his eyes and began to doze.  
**CMCMCMCMCM**

"Derek!" Garcia whispered, stepping into the room ten minutes later, her arms laden with takeout bags. "Hot Stuff come here!"  
"What Baby Girl? Food's ready!" Derek exclaimed loudly, holding four bottles of soda. Garcia shushed him and slapped him on the shoulder.  
"Look!" she whispered, pointing at Teagan and Spencer. Derek grinned widely at the two sleeping forms on the couch.  
"What do we have here?" he said. "You know, I caught these two kissing earlier today?"  
"They're so cute!" Penelope said. "She's good for him. Reid needs a girl like her."  
"Reid needs a girl. Period. I don't know her really well, but he's already over the moon for her. But I agree, she is good for him." Teagan sighed and snuggled into Spencer's chest. He shifted and tightened his arm around her.  
"So cute!" Garcia squealed. "I need to wake them up, but I don't want to."  
"Oy!'' Derek yelled loudly. They both jumped from their position on the couch. Teagan's head collided with Spencer's cheekbone.  
"Shit, Derek!" She exclaimed, rubbing her head. "What the hell did you do that for?" Derek couldn't stop laughing. Penelope smirked. "Oh, Spence, I'm sorry." He sat rubbing his cheek.  
"It's not your fault," he said, glaring at Derek.  
"Payback's a bitch," Teagan said.  
"I'm shaking," he said. Teagan stuck her tongue out at him.  
"Food!" She exclaimed, noticing the food on the kitchen counter. Derek and Penelope laughed. "What? I'm starving!" Spencer just chuckled.

After dinner, they all were seated in Spencer's living room watching the local news on his small TV. Suddenly J.J. appeared on the screen, who began talking about a serial rapist and killer who was targeting females in the D.C. area.

"Nope!" Penelope grabbed the remote and switched it off. "No talk of UnSubs while I'm off duty!"  
"An UnSub?" Teagan asked curiously.  
"An Unknown Subject of an investigation," Spencer replied. "It's basically another term for suspect."  
"Hmm. Didn't know that," She said, yawning. "I'm sorry, but it's about time for me to go. I'm sleepy and I've got work in the morning."

"So do we," Morgan replied.  
"Smartass." He winked.  
"Do you really have to go?" Penelope asked.  
"Yes. I've got to go home and let McDuffie out and feed him. Lily had to work late tonight. She had PTA."  
"Who's McDuffie?" Morgan asked.  
"Her dog," Spencer replied. "He's a Westie, or West Highland White Terrier. The West Highland White Terrier is said to originate from Poltalloch, Scotland, and due to this, was originally known as the Poltalloch Terrier. They were also sometimes referred to as the Roseneath Terrier, after the Duke of Argyll's estate. The Westie was first shown in the United States in 1906 under the Roseneath name, but this was changed in 1909 and they have been known as the West Highland White Terrier ever since."  
"I just learned something new," Garcia stated. "I bet McDuffie is precious."  
"He is," she grinned. "Well, I need to be going. Feel better Spencer, okay? Please call me if you need anything. You two keep me updated." She pointed at both Penelope and Derek.  
"We will, Little Bit. If he picks up another girl while we're working a case, I'll be sure tell you." He winked.  
"Morgan!" Reid exclaimed. Teagan laughed.  
"Bye, love," Garcia said. "If we're finished with this case by Saturday, are we still on for shoe shopping?"  
"Of course!" Penelope hugged her.  
"Thank you, by the way," she whispered.  
"No problem," Teagan replied. "Thank you for dinner."  
Teagan gathered her purse, stepped out the door and began the walk to the elevator.  
"Reid, go tell your woman goodbye," Morgan said, pushing him towards the door.  
"But-"  
"Go, Genius!" Garcia snapped. Spencer raced out the door and towards the elevator where it was beginning to close.  
"Wait!" he exclaimed. She grinned as she pressed the button for the doors to open.  
"What?"  
"You didn't say goodbye," he said.  
"Sorry." He placed both hands on either side of her face, cradling it, and tilted her face towards his. His lips met hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck to gain better access to his mouth. He kissed her slowly and passionately without deepening the kiss. He knew he still couldn't handle that type of kiss just yet. She knotted her fingers in his hair before he pulled back, his breathing heavier than usual.  
"Wow," she said, blushing.  
"Yeah."  
"Bye, Magic Man." She waved before exiting the elevator.  
"Bye Teagan." He watched as she walked to her car safely and drove away.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone! Thanks for reading! :) I'm so flattered by all of the reviews and views I've gotten! Thanks! Hope everyone is preparing for New Year's!  
If you haven't already, please read my one-shot "Claustrophobia and Metro Stations." Read and Review, folks! XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

**Monday, October 14, 2013**  
Teagan rushed into the office, carrying her usual load. Gene sat at his desk, filling out forms.  
"You're late," he stated sternly.  
"I'm sorry!" She replied. "So sorry! There was a traffic jam, and then I fell coming in because the floor was wet and I didn't see the wet floor sign. My stuff went everywhere!"  
"Doesn't change the fact you're late," he sneered. "You're always late."  
"I'm not always late," she replied, glowering at him while she placed her stuff behind her desk. "Who's on the schedule for today?"  
"Check your desk," he replied. On her desk was her schedule for the day and a bouquet of the most beautiful purple orchids. There was a purple ribbon around the vase and a note was attached. She picked up the note and began reading it.

"She walks in beauty like the night  
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;  
And all that's best of dark and bright  
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;  
Thus mellowed to that tender light  
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

I know your favorite color is purple, so I hope you enjoy these.  
Your Secret Admirer

Teagan smiled. She knew right away that these had to be from Spencer. Who else would quote Lord Byron? _I wonder why he sent flowers. Maybe he misses you? _She hadn't seen him since last Thursday night, since he had been busy all weekend solving a case. She had even missed her shopping trip with Penelope, which they had rescheduled to this Saturday. Spencer called her last night to tell her that the case was over and that he wanted to see her soon. They made plans to have pizza and watch Doctor Who over at his apartment tonight. He thought it was strange that she had never seen Doctor Who as well. She took one final look at the flowers on her desk before she began her day.  
**CMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

Spencer sat at his desk reading the finished case file. He took a swig of tea before he scanned the information, using his finger as a guide across the page. The killer, Jeremy Grass, had been targeting women in the D.C. area, stalking them before raping and killing them. The images at the dump sites had been gruesome. He had seen so many dead bodies over the years that it almost didn't bother him anymore. That made him feel less human. He sometimes wished he had never become a behavioral analyst because of all the things he'd seen. He could have easily been a professor or a researcher. He could have used his genius for something else. But then he thought about all of the people he helped to save, and the thought made him smile. He looked back down at the file, studying the UnSub's M.O. This guy had been brutal. He raped each victim repeatedly and tortured them endlessly, using electric shock, stabbing, physical violence, and burning. The final torture was eviscerating them when they were alive. He looked at the photos of who the victims used to be. That part was always the most difficult. These women had somebody's daughter, somebody's mother, somebody's best friend, somebody's…He swallowed the lump in his throat. Somebody's girlfriend. He knew, or at least had some semblance of, what they felt before they died. He had struggled with that after he was kidnapped by Tobias Hankel. It bothered him and he let it get in the way of his job. Morgan had said to let it "make him a better profiler and a better person." He didn't know if he was a better person, but he was definitely a better profiler.

He thought about the victim they were able to save, Marjorie Johnson, a 21 year old college student Jeremy had abducted walking from campus to the apartment that she shared with her boyfriend. Jeremy was familiar with her routine and he had kidnapped her. She was only missing for 18 hours before the team was able to track him down. Marjorie's boyfriend was so grateful to have her back safely. He thanked the team profusely. Spencer thought about Teagan. _What if Teagan had been kidnapped?_ No. He didn't want to think about it. He'd already lost one girlfriend to a stalker. Besides, Teagan was just fine. He had talked to her last night and he was looking forward to their date tonight. He wanted to finish this paperwork soon so he could clean his apartment. It was a wreck. Well, to him at least. Morgan had fixed the door he had kicked down, but it swung open wide every time someone opened it. His bathroom could use a good cleaning. And so could the kitchen. He was so exhausted last night after the case was solved, that he immediately went to sleep instead of tackling the chores he knew needed to be completed. He glanced at his watch. _Teagan should be at lunch right about now. _He pulled his phone out of his messenger bag and dialed her number. She answered on the third ring.

"Hey Magic Man!" He blushed. He loved it when she called him that.  
"Hi, Teagan! How're you?"  
"I'm great! Well, great but not-so-great."  
"What happened?"  
"I fell this morning coming into work. I didn't see the wet floor sign and I tripped. And now I have this nasty bruise on my leg."  
"You should be more careful."  
"I told you that the word "careful" wasn't in my vocabulary. I know I probably should, but then, I wouldn't be a klutz. And if I wasn't a klutz, then I wouldn't be me!" He chuckled.  
"Your logic is flawed. You're going to injure yourself seriously one day by not watching where you're going."

"Look here now!" She exclaimed exaggerating her accent. "If I wanted someone to boss me around, I'd call my Momma. Speaking of, I should probably do that. Thanks for the reminder, Spencer!"  
"Uh, you're welcome, I guess?" He asked. She giggled.  
"So are we still on for tonight?" She asked.  
"Yes," he replied confused. "Do you, um, have something else to do?"  
"Of course not, silly goose! What else could I possibly do on a Monday night than eat pizza on a couch with an adorable guy and watch Doctor Who?"  
"I don't know," he replied.  
"I could think of some things," she replied, a teasing lilt to her tone.  
"Like what?" he asked.  
"I could…hmm. I could snuggle pretty close to the adorable guy on the couch and do that thing to his neck that he likes." She knew he was blushing on the other line. He cleared his throat.  
"Yeah, we could do that," his voice cracked at the end. _Yes!_ She grinned. She loved making him uncomfortable sometimes. It was fun. She giggled again.

"What time should I come over?"  
"Um, is six o'clock fine?"  
"Yep. See you then!"  
"'Bye Teagan."  
"'Bye Spence." She hung up the phone before returning to her sandwich. _Crap!_ She forgot to thank him for the flowers he had sent. _Oh well. I can just do it tonight._

**CMCMCMCMCM**

Teagan arrived at Spencer's apartment just before six o'clock. She knocked on the door and waited.  
"Hey," he said, opening the door. The door swung open wide and hit the wall with a loud thunk. "Sorry about that. Morgan fixed it, but it does _that _now. I need to tighten the hinges, but I haven't had time."

"It's fine," she replied, looping her arm through his.  
"The pizza should be here in a bit. Um, I got some snacks too." He gestured to the coffee table which had several liter bottles of different kinds of soda, a bowl of potato chips, a bowl of pretzels, and tin of cookies.  
"Wow. You thought of everything. We should have a carpet picnic. Those are fun."

"I, um, didn't know what, um, kind of soda you liked, so I just got one of everything." She laughed.

"For future reference, to save you a few bucks, I like ginger ale, orange soda, or Coke. Well, basically anything but Mountain Dew."

"I like ginger ale too," he replied. "Did you know that ginger is effective in alleviating gastro-intestinal distress? In herbal medicine, ginger is regarded as an excellent carminative and intestinal spasmolytic."

"I did know that. That's why I always drink ginger ale when I'm nauseous."

"Ginger, along with black pepper, was one of the most commonly traded spices during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. In England, during this time, one pound of weight in ginger was equivalent to the cost of a sheep!" he exclaimed excitedly. She noticed that he talked rapidly when he was telling her something that he found interesting.

"Interesting," she replied. "How did you know that?"  
"I read it somewhere."  
"Do you remember everything you've read?" she asked.  
"Pretty much. I have an eidetic memory."  
"Wow!" She exclaimed, impressed. "So you really do know everything!"  
"I don't know everything," he replied, chuckling slightly. "Morgan says I do, but I don't." A knock at the door startled both of them. "That would be the pizza."  
"Yes." He reached into his messenger bag on the couch and pulled out his wallet. Teagan had already pulled hers out of her purse.  
"You got the snacks and drinks. I'll get this."  
"No," he argued. "I'll get it."  
"Don't make me slap you," she teased, striding to the door. Spencer started to protest but she shushed him. After she paid for the pizza, she set the box down in the middle of a coffee table. Spencer grabbed two plates and two cups from the kitchen and came to join her on the couch.  
"You want to have a carpet picnic?" she asked. "It's okay if you don't, but we can totally pig out in front of the TV and eat pizza, chips, pretzels and cookies."  
"I don't think I've ever had a carpet picnic."  
"Never? Spencer, you don't get out much do you?"  
"No, not really." He blushed.  
"So yes or no to the picnic before we start watching Doctor Who?"  
"Yes."  
"Let's get some towels or blankets, so we don't spill sauce or grease all over your floor."  
"Okay, I'll be right back." He came back with some towels that had definitely seen better days and a huge blanket with the TARDIS on it. "Don't judge." He said. She giggled.  
"I take it you have a thing for Doctor Who? Garcia wasn't lying then."  
"I do enjoy Doctor Who. My favorite Doctor is the Fourth Doctor. Did you know that he had a companion named Tegan Jovanka? She was also a companion to the Fifth Doctor."  
"Really? That's so awesome! I've never met another person named Teagan my entire life. Although there is a band called Tegan and Sara. They are identical twin sisters."  
"Never heard of them. Teagan is not an uncommon name. It is originally an Irish name meaning 'little poet'. So you're definitely little," he replied. "But are you a poet?"  
"I write songs," she mused. "So I guess that counts as poetry." She laughed. "'Little Poet'". Hmm. Never knew that was what my name meant." She took a slice of pizza out of the box and placed it on a plate before handing it to Spencer. "Speaking of poetry, that was a nice touch on the flowers you sent me today."  
"Excuse me?" he asked, taking a sip of ginger ale.  
"You know? You put that lovely Lord Byron poem on the card that was attached to those beautiful orchids you sent." She watched as his facial expression went from confusion, to puzzlement, then finally to complete shock.  
"I never sent you flowers," he said.  
"Ha-ha! You're so funny," she said sarcastically.  
"No, honestly," he said slowly. "I never sent you any flowers." He looked concerned. "Teagan, did the card say the flowers were from me?"  
"No," she replied, taking a bite of pizza. "It said it was from a secret admirer. I assumed they were from you." His face was much paler than usual.  
"They weren't from me," he stated. "What Byron poem was on the card?"  
"_She walks in beauty like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; and all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes; thus mellowed to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies_," she quoted. "It's one of my favorite poems. Lord Byron and e.e. cummings are my two favorite poets."  
"I'm familiar with that poem," Spencer replied. "Did the card say anything else?"  
"Well, the orchids were purple, and the bow around the vase was purple. My admirer said that they knew my favorite color was purple. I've never told you that, but it's not hard to figure out."

"What was the name of the flower shop? Do you know? Was it listed on the card?"  
"Ultra Violet Flowers, I think." She sat for minutes waiting for him to say something. He appeared to be deep in thought.  
"Teagan," he said softly, grabbing both of her hands. "I am not sure, but I think you are being stalked." His usually soft brown eyes had a glint of sadness in them.  
"They're just flowers, Spence!"  
"I've seen a lot of cases with stalkers. They usually don't end well."  
"You're overreacting! If I sense I'm in danger, you'll be the first person I call. But this is silly! They're flowers."  
"You're missing the point. Stalkers usually do harmless things to gain your affection like sending flowers. If you have a stalker, he or she could think you're in love with him or her."  
"But I don't feel like I'm being stalked. I still think you're overreacting."  
"I don't. I'm going to call Garcia and have her check to see if there were any records of purple orchids being ordered at that flower shop."  
"Spencer, quit acting like a crazy person. And stop being so paranoid." She clapped her hands over her mouth as soon as she said it. "I'm sorry!"  
"You think I'm crazy too? Just like everyone else? I've seen the way people look at me. Nobody believes I have migraines. They all think I'm going to wind up like my mother and now you think that too."  
"I do not!" She exclaimed. "You think that."  
"You do too. You want to know what it's like living with a parent who has paranoid schizophrenia? It's awful. You never know if it's going to be a good day or a bad day. People look at you strangely when you fall asleep in class because you were up with your mother half the night, trying to convince her that the visions she sees and the fear she feels isn't real! No, you have no idea! Now everyone's convinced I'm going to wind up just like that."  
"Spencer, nobody said anything about that. Just calm down." She went to pat his back reassuringly but he batted her hand away.  
"Go away."  
"I will not. You can't make me. Now just calm down and take relaxing breaths." He did as she instructed.

"Teagan, I'm so sorry," he apologized. "I'm so sorry."  
"Spence, you have nothing to be sorry for. I don't think you're crazy, but you were overreacting. Trust me, I'll be safe. You can even follow me home if you'd like."  
"Teagan, I'm sorry. It's just that I never talk about my mom to anyone. I've actually been worried about developing schizophrenia for years. If I develop it, I'll lose the one thing I and most people value most. My brain. And these headaches could be affirming the one thing I fear most."  
"Oh, Spencer," she replied gently, touching his cheek. He placed his hand over hers. "I don't think you're developing schizophrenia. At all. I also think that those doctors don't know shit. Look at all the bad stuff you see. The lack of sleep, the psychological stress. You're bound to have stress-related migraines." He didn't respond for a moment, deep in thought again.  
"I'm sorry," she said again softly.  
"What are you apologizing for?"  
"I yelled at you. I don't usually yell."  
"You had every right to get defensive. I said a pretty rude thing without thinking because that's what I do. I don't think before I speak." He smiled slightly.  
"So you're not mad at me?"  
"Hell no. Are you mad at me?'

"No, but I am worried about you."  
"I'll be fine! Don't worry." She kissed him quickly. "Don't worry, Spencer. Please." She kissed him again, softly this time. She kissed her way down his neck before nuzzling it.  
"Teagan, stop please!"  
"Why? She asked, kissing her way back up his neck.  
"Stop! I'm serious."  
"Why?" She mumbled against his throat.  
"Because I think you could be in danger. Will you stop?"  
"Yes," she stated warily. He took both of her hands in his.  
"I'm going to call Garcia." He pulled his phone out of his messenger bag and stepped into the kitchen to talk to Garcia. She looked around at their failed carpet picnic. She suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. _What if he was right? Was she being stalked? Probably not. That's just Spencer overreacting._ He stepped back into the room.  
"Garcia said the person paid in cash. There's no way to track the order because it also purchased under an assumed name. Teagan, I'm serious. Please be careful. Garcia's worried too." He looked really concerned. He was paler than usual and kept running his hands anxiously through his hair.  
"Come here," she said patting the couch. "You're going to get all stressed out and have a migraine and Garcia and Morgan are both going to murder me in my sleep because I caused you to have a migraine and then I'll feel guilty."  
"I'm not going to have another migraine," he said, sitting next to her. "I just want you to be careful."  
"And I will. Now where is that Doctor Who marathon you promised?"

**CMCMCMCMCMCMCM  
**Teagan drove home a little less than an hour later with Spencer following close behind. He couldn't concentrate on Doctor Who for being worried about her. She still thought he was being ridiculous, but she didn't dare tell him that. She stepped into her apartment after saying goodnight to him. He hadn't even kissed her. McDuffie was asleep in his crate and a flickering light was coming out from under Lily's door, which usually meant she was watching TV. On the kitchen counter was a note that was addressed to her. _Lily must have gotten my mail again._ She opened the envelope, expecting a bill. Inside was a note and several photos. The note was written in blocked letters, like they had been ripped from a magazine or newspaper. It read:  
_"If you continue to see him, you'll end up like this."_  
The photos were all of women in various compromising positions, all naked from the waist down. Every single one of them had their throat slashed. She couldn't look anymore. Fear rose within her and she released the scream that had been building in her throat.


	17. Chapter 17

**Happy New Year's Eve everyone! I hope you're enjoying this Fanfic! I appreciated all the reviews. Thanks to the person who found my error in Chapter 6. I fixed it. I'm trying to keep Reid in character as best I can. Things are getting dramatic. Dun dun dun. Hope you enjoy this! Read and review, folks!**

Teagan gripped the edge of her counter. _This could not be happening_. Lily flung her door open.  
"What on earth is going on?" She exclaimed, scrambling over to Teagan. Teagan couldn't even speak. Her face was ashen. She was gripping the sides of the counter tightly and sobbing. "Teagan, what is going on? Tell me!" All she could do was point shakily to the envelope and letter on the counter. Lily snatched it up and began reading it. Teagan didn't watch her facial expression. She was too busy concentrating on steadying her breathing.  
"What the actual fuck?" Lily exclaimed. "I'm calling the police."  
"Call Spencer," she rasped.  
"I'll call him too. He's an FBI agent right?" Lily asked. Teagan nodded in response. "Okay. Just calm down." Lily placed both hands on Teagan's shoulders, looking her square in the eye. "It's going to be fine. I'm also calling your parents."  
Teagan began to feel uneasy. _But what if everything wasn't all right?_

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

Spencer pulled out of Teagan's apartment complex and into traffic. _What if Teagan really was being stalked?_ He couldn't handle it. He couldn't lose one more person he cared about. Teagan made him feel the happiest he had in years. If she was being stalked, he wasn't going to let her out of his sight. His phone rang suddenly. He glanced at the caller I.D. It was Teagan.

"Hello?"  
"Is this Spencer?" An unfamiliar female voice asked. His blood ran cold.  
"Yes. Who is this?"  
"This is Lily. Spencer, you need to come here as soon as you can."  
"What's going on? Is Teagan okay?"  
"Just get here now," she said urgently.  
"I'm on my way." He did a very illegal U-turn and sped all the way to Teagan's apartment. Upon arriving, he noticed there were two police cars in the parking lot. He parked rather haphazardly and practically sprinted into her apartment. The door was open and two policemen were asking a very pale and harried looking Teagan several questions. She sat on her couch with her hands in her lap, wringing them. She looked up for a moment and noticed he was in the room. She flew from the couch and ran straight into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He wrapped his arms around her tentatively as she pressed her face into his shirt and began sobbing.

"What happened?" he asked worriedly. He patted her back awkwardly. He had no idea what to do.  
"She does indeed have a stalker," Lily replied. _Oh God_. He pulled her tighter against him. "She told me that you were concerned about the flowers she received. They're on the coffee table." She pointed to the vase of purple orchids, complete with a purple bow. The police were standing behind Teagan, wanting to continue the interrogation.  
"Teagan?" He asked. "They are going to ask you some more questions okay? I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere." She just nodded. _She's still in shock_. She walked over to the couch and continued to answer several questions. Spencer tried to listen, but Lily tugged his arm.  
"C'mon, Doctor Genius. I'll tell you what she was able to tell me." She dragged him into kitchen.  
"She has a stalker? You're sure of this?"  
"She came home after her date with you and I heard her come in. I was in my room watching T.V. I had already put McDuffie in his crate, so the house was quiet. Anyway, I heard her come in and then I heard her scream this God-awful scream. I ran out of my room and she was clutching the sides of the counter. I thought she was going to pass out. When I asked what was wrong, she couldn't tell me. She just handed me a letter and some photos."  
"What did the letter say?"  
"_If you continue to see him, you'll wind up like this_. And there were photos of murdered women. About six or seven of them. She thought I picked up her mail again, but I didn't. That son of a bitch had to get in without startling me or McDuffie. I found the window the bastard came through." _So the stalker knows how to get in. He also knows about us. Oh God. Not again.  
_"Listen, I'm going to call my team. We're going to find whoever did this to Teagan. You'll both be under constant surveillance."  
"Thanks," Lily replied.  
"Are you okay?" Spencer asked, pulling out his phone.  
"I'm scared, but I'd never let her see it," Lily replied, glancing over toward Teagan.  
"Don't worry. We're going to catch whoever did this." He began to dial Hotch's number. He answered on the fourth ring.  
"Reid?" he asked sleepily. Spencer glanced at his watch. It was past 10 p.m. Hotch must have been asleep.  
"Hotch. Listen, Teagan's in trouble."

**CMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

About an hour and a half later, the entire BAU team was squashed inside Teagan and Lily's apartment. The police had finished interrogating Teagan, but now Morgan wanted to walk her through the evening and have her look at the pictures again to see if she knew any of the victims. The police hadn't been able to do that. She still sat on her couch bundled up in a blanket covered with music notes, resting her head against Lily's shoulder. McDuffie sat at her feet, growling protectively whenever someone came near.

"Teagan?" Spencer asked. "Morgan wants to ask you some questions. Is that okay?"  
"Haven't I answered enough questions?" she croaked. Her throat was sore from crying.  
"I know it's hard, but this will help with our profile. Just a few more."  
"I want to go to bed," she whined.  
"I know. After this you can go to bed and sleep as long as you want."  
"I have work in the morning."  
"I don't think that's a good idea."  
"Why not?"  
"It's just not. The stalker could attack you at work."  
"Oh," she replied. "Well, no that's not safe then, is it?"  
"You ready, Little Bit?" Morgan asked, sitting across from her on the coffee table.  
"Yeah," she replied. Morgan took both of her hands in hers, rubbing his thumbs over the top of them. Spencer felt a sudden pang of jealousy. _Concentrate on the case. Teagan needs you to find her stalker.  
_"What did you do on your way home? Did you notice anything unusual?"  
"No, Spencer and I argued over the possibility of a stalker earlier. I came home soon after and he followed me home. He walked me to the door. No, nothing unusual."  
"Okay. Now when you came inside, was anything different?"  
"No. Lily was watching TV in her room and McDuffie was in his crate. The lights were off. And I noticed an envelope on the counter. I flipped on the light and noticed the envelope was addressed to me. I opened it and read the letter. At first I thought it was a sick joke, you know? But then I saw the photos and realized that well, Spencer was right. Someone's stalking me."  
"Teagan," Spencer said softly. "Can you look at the pictures again? Just to make sure you don't know any of the women in the pictures?"  
"I don't know," she replied, the color leaving her cheeks.  
"I know it's hard, Little Bit, but it will help us catch the UnSub quicker."  
"Okay," she said shakily. "Let me see them again." Spencer handed them to her. She glanced over them, her face growing pale. "No, I don't know any of these women."  
"So nothing about them sticks out to you? You've never see any of these women before?"  
"No."  
"Okay. Little Bit, I don't think you should come back here for a couple of days. The stalker came into your house through the bathroom window. Do you have any other friends to stay with?" Teagan shook her head.  
"I could pay for a hotel room," she said. "One for me and Lily."  
"I can stay with Jared," Lily replied. "We'll find you a nice hotel in Georgetown until your parents arrive."  
"You can stay with me," Spencer piped up. "For now." Morgan shot him a look.  
"What about McDuffie?" Teagan asked. Lily couldn't help but laugh. The girl loved her dog.  
"McDuffie can stay with me!" Garcia exclaimed. The dog was happily licking her face.  
"He's a handful," Teagan replied.  
"He's a sweetheart!" Garcia replied, petting the dog.  
"Spencer, are you sure?" Teagan asked. "This guy is after you too."  
"Don't worry about me," Spencer replied. "I just want you to be safe. Now go pack your things. By the time you do that, we should have things wrapped up here."  
"Okay." Lily and Teagan hopped up from the couch and went into her room to pack.

**CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

An hour later, Spencer and Teagan pulled into his apartment complex. She reached into the back of his car and pulled out her large purple leopard spotted luggage. Spencer immediately reached out and grabbed it from her.  
"Thanks." He just smiled slightly at her and went into the complex and waited for the elevator to arrive.  
"I'm sorry."  
"For what?" he asked.  
"For inconveniencing you."  
"You're not inconveniencing me. I just want you to be safe."  
"I'm scared, Spencer," she said softly.  
"I know."  
"Are you?" He hesitated for a moment before answering.  
"A little."  
"He unlocked his apartment door and it swung open wide before hitting the back the wall again.  
"You need to fix that hinge."  
"Probably," he replied. He walked over to the couch and started cleaning up the remnants of their forgotten carpet picnic. She went to assist. "I hate we never watched Doctor Who."  
"I do too, but it almost seems silly now, doesn't it?" She asked.  
"Yeah. Maybe when things are back to normal…"He chuckled slightly. "Wait. I'm a profiler. Nothing is ever normal." She smiled and helped him clean up the mess. After that was over, he showed her to the bedroom.  
"Here's where you'll, um, sleep. I'll be on the couch if you need me. The bathroom is out this door and to the left."

"You're going to sleep on the couch?" She asked.  
"Yeah."  
"Let me sleep there. I don't want to take your bed. You need the sleep more than me."  
"No, you're a guest. You get the bed."  
"Spencer!" she whined.  
"No," he answered. "Besides, I'm more comfortable on the couch."  
"Are you sure? I hate putting you out of your bed."  
"I'm absolutely sure. Do you need anything?"  
"No," she replied. "Thanks, Spencer."  
"Anytime, Teagan." She got ready for bed, putting on her worn flannel pajamas. She went into his relatively large bathroom and brushed her teeth. He walked by the bathroom and she heard him opening a drawer in his bedroom. He emerged a few minutes later wearing lime green flannel pajama bottoms and a "Vote 'No' on Daleks: Stop Extermination Today" t-shirt along with black horn-rimmed glasses. He was carrying a pillow under his arm. She stifled a giggle when she saw him. He looked completely nerdy and absolutely adorable at the same time.  
"Good night," he said.  
"Good night," she replied. She walked into his room and slipped under the covers. His sheets smelled of his aftershave and soap. She buried her face in one of his pillows as the stress of the past few hours caught up with her and she quickly fell asleep, completely exhausted.

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

Spencer lie awake on his couch. Sleep refused to come. He was actually grateful for once. He knew if he closed his eyes, he would have a nightmare and he didn't feel like dealing with that right now. He checked on Teagan earlier and she was contently asleep. She looked so innocent when she slept. He was scared for her more than for himself. The UnSub might be after him, but he didn't care about his safety. He was concerned about hers. He knew that if anything happened to Teagan, he would never recover. He would always blame himself. He was so glad she hadn't protested to his team intervening. Screaming startled him from his thoughts. He raced into his bedroom, seeing Teagan screaming and thrashing around on the bed.  
"Teagan? Teagan, it's all right. You're all right. It's just me!" He pulled her into his arms clumsily. He wasn't very good at this. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Shh. It's okay." He remembered something J.J. had done with Henry when he had nightmares. He rocked her back and forth gently as she sobbed into his neck. "It's okay. You're safe."  
"Spencer, I-I-I'm so sc-scared!" she sobbed harder. "I s-s-saw those women again! I s-saw them d-d-die!"  
"It's okay," he said softly, awkwardly brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're safe." She clung to him tightly and he patted her back while her sobbing subsided. He tried humming softly in her ear. He knew he couldn't sing. She crinkled her nose in distaste.  
"I told you I can't sing," he said simply.  
"I have to admit, you didn't lie. You're just awful, Spence!" She laughed. He chuckled slightly too. "Thanks for that though." She tightened her arms around his neck. "Will, you stay with me?"  
"I am staying with you," he responded. "I'm in the next room."  
"No, I mean in here." He felt his stomach drop. _Was she asking him what he thought she was asking him?_ He was suddenly grateful for the darkness so she couldn't see him blush.  
"Um, I, uh, um… You see, there's this thing called transference-"  
"I know what transference is," she said. "I just wanted you near me in case another bad dream came along."

"Oh," he replied, lying down next to her as she flopped over on her stomach. _Oh God. What should I do? There is a woman in my bed! An attractive woman!_ He began to scratch the exposed skin just above the small of her back lightly. She didn't respond at first, so he assumed she was asleep. He stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked suddenly, turning on her side to face him. She was just a few inches from his face now.  
"I thought you were asleep."  
"Not yet," she replied, reaching out to stroke his face softly with her fingertips. She scooted closer to him and leaned in to kiss him. He began to kiss her back, slowly gaining confidence. She knotted her fingers in his hair and he placed his hand on her hip, clutching her closer to him. She pulled back for a moment before kissing her way down his neck and began to nuzzle it. He didn't stop her this time. That felt amazing. She traced her fingers across his collarbone. He squirmed slightly beneath her touch. He was very ticklish. She kissed her way back up his neck avoiding his mouth, kissing her way around his face. He kissed her chin briefly once trying to gain access to her mouth. He reached up and cupped her face before kissing her gently and passionately. When he pulled away, her deep blue eyes met his.  
"Well, I'm not going to sleep anytime soon."  
"Me either," he replied. She curled up next to him and placed her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her, running his hand gently through her hair.  
"You know kissing helps the body to produce several endorphins?" he asked. "Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and adrenaline."  
"Really?"  
"Yes," he replied. They lay in silence for a few minutes.  
"Spencer?" she asked softly.  
"Hmm?"  
"Are you going to catch him?" He rolled over to face her, cupping her face with his free hand.  
"I promise you, we're going to catch him. I'm not going to let him get anywhere near you." His brown eyes held a glint of fierceness in them that she had never seen before. He gently kissed her forehead. "Now go to sleep and don't worry about it anymore. You're safe. I'm right here."  
"Thank you, Spence," she replied, snuggling closer to him. He pulled her tight against him and they both fell asleep in each other's arms.


	18. Chapter 18

**Happy New Year, everyone! :) Hope you have a wonderfully fantastic year full of health, love, and friendship! Anyway, I'm just frankly amazed by the reviews. They are the best! :D If you haven't already, please read my one-shot titled, "Claustrophobia and Metro Stations". Read and Review, folks! XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

Teagan awoke to light streaming through the window. She stretched her cramped muscles, smacking something solid in the bed next to her. She panicked for a moment, confused about her surroundings. The solid thing next to her grunted and all the memories from the day before came flooding back. She glanced over at Spencer, his hair extremely ruffled, grinning sleepily at her.  
"Good morning, Magic Man," she said.  
"Good morning," he replied, yawning and stretching before rubbing the side of his face where a bright red mark was forming.  
"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I was stretching. I forgot where I was. I didn't mean to hit you!**"**

"It's okay," he said. "I've definitely had worse. Would you, um, like some coffee?"  
"Oh yes. I can't function properly without it."

"I'll go make some then." He stood up and stretched again before padding to the kitchen. Teagan stood up, and grabbed her clothes from her suitcase. She stepped into the bathroom to shower when she discovered that he had placed towels and washcloths on the countertop. _Well, that was certainly thoughtful_. She showered, dressed, and applied makeup in less than fifteen minutes. When she emerged from the bathroom, she almost collided with Spencer, still in his pajamas and glasses, who was holding a steaming mug of coffee and a small canister of sugar.

"I, um, added about six teaspoonfuls of sugar, but I brought some extra in case you wanted more."

"Six should be fine," she replied, grabbing the cup from him and taking a sip. "Absolutely perfect."

"Good," he replied, stepping back into the kitchen to put away the canister. "I'm afraid I don't have much food. I don't eat at home often. But there's leftover pizza in the refrigerator."

"Pizza and coffee: the breakfast of champions," she replied. "I haven't eaten that since college." He chuckled, going into his room to gather his things before he took a shower. Teagan took another swig of coffee and stepped into his living room, sitting down on the couch. There were several books on the coffee table. Three were open to various pages, some with the corners of the pages turned down. She glanced at the one nearest her. _What language was this? Russian? Czech?_ _Who reads books in Russian? Does he even speak Russian?_ She stood up and walked into the kitchen, passing by his desk, where the copy of The Narrative of John Smith lay. She picked it up and thumbed through it, remembering hearing the story about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's lost Sherlock Holmes novel on the news. On the first page she saw the handwritten quote, "_Love is our true destiny. We don't find the meaning of life by ourselves alone—we find it with another.—Thomas Merton_." The binding in the book was almost completely broken, as if it had been read many times. She placed it gently back on the desk and walked into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator in search of the leftover pizza. Grabbing a slice, she walked back into the living room and started to sit back down on the couch, when her phone began to blare Luke Bryan's "That's My Kinda Night" at top volume in the bedroom. She hurriedly placed her coffee cup on the table and began racing to the bedroom when she collided with a shirtless and damp Spencer in the hallway, both of them falling to the ground with a loud thump.  
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, disentangling herself and helping him up. "Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine," he replied. "What about you?"  
"I'm fine," she replied. "I've just got to stop injuring you today. That's all." He chuckled.

"Was that your phone that just rang?" he asked.  
"Yeah. Sorry," she replied. "Just so you know, a Luke Bryan song is always my ringtone. There are four things in life I shamelessly love: God, sweet tea, SEC football, and Luke Bryan."  
"Hmm," he mused, running a hand through his damp hair. "Interesting." She ran her eyes over Spencer's shirtless form. He might be skinny, but there was definite muscle definition underneath. He caught her staring and flushed bright red before rushing into the bathroom and hurriedly putting on a white undershirt. The memories of the last time a pretty girl saw him shirtless came flooding back. _She probably thought I was too scrawny. She's probably laughing about it now, just like that class of seniors did_. He stepped out of the bathroom to see Teagan checking her phone in the hallway.

"Seventeen missed calls from my mother. Oh my God, Spence! I'm dead. Lily and Penelope both called her last night and I never talked to her. She said she's on her way to the BAU in this voicemail she left. I know she's going to be angry because I didn't call her and she's gonna upset because of all the stuff that's happened and—Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "She doesn't know about you! How could I forget to mention you? Oh wait, I did mention you. Nevermind. I said I had a date with a genius FBI agent and she flipped her lid. Okay. So that won't be so bad…" she continued and Spencer listened to her ramble.  
"Teagan," he started to interrupt, but she kept rambling. "Teagan!" he shouted.  
"Oh, what? Sorry. What?" she asked.  
"Just call her back. We need to leave soon."  
"Oh, sorry. I was rambling, wasn't I?" She asked. "I do that when I'm nervous or excited or scared or happy. Well, basically it happens all the time. I'll just see her when we get to Quantico. There's too much to explain over the phone."  
"It is," he replied, stepping over to his dresser and pulling out two mismatched socks, one hot pink and one brown and orange argyle. Teagan crinkled her nose. That brown sock was the ugliest thing she'd ever seen, not that she'd tell him that. She turned around and left the room, stifling laughter. Her knight in shining armor turned out to be an extremely eccentric genius. He stepped out his room with his ever-present messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He was wearing a purple button-down shirt underneath a brown tweed sweater vest with brown slacks. Teagan could see his mismatched socks peeking out over the top of his brown loafers. _Absolutely adorable_.  
"Ready to go?" he asked.  
"Sure." They stepped outside and Spencer locked the door. He reached for her hand as they stepped into the parking lot.

"Stay close to me," he ordered. "Just in case."  
"You got it," she replied as he pulled her towards his car. "Wait! I thought you took the Metro to work."  
"It's too risky," he replied. She slid into the passenger seat. He placed his messenger bag into the backseat before starting the engine. He flipped on the radio before pulling out of the parking lot.  
"Thank you," she said softly from her seat.  
"No problem." She scanned until she found a classical station.  
"I can't concentrate on lyrics right now."  
"I can't concentrate at all," he replied, taking an exit a little sharply. She glanced at him.  
"Is your mind somewhere else too?"  
"Yeah," he replied. He couldn't stop thinking about what he would do if this case went entirely downhill. He gripped her hand a little tighter. _She was safe. For now_. They had to find the UnSub and in order to find the UnSub, they needed him. He snuck a glance at her. He couldn't even believe this was real. _She_ was real. And he wasn't about to allow anything to happen to her. He couldn't lose her too. He had to protect her. Was he really falling in love? Chemically, he knew love involved surging brain elements called monoamines, dopamines, norepinephrine, and serotonin and that love chemicals were also controlled by phenylethylamine. However, what he was feeling now was something he certainly had never felt before.

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

A little over an hour later, they stepped into the bullpen. He had been the one to suggest that she stay in the BAU. He knew she'd be safe here.  
"TEAGAN GRACE WELLERS!" a voice exclaimed. He turned, seeing Teagan run to a heavyset woman with brunette hair. _That must be her mother_. She turned to greet a tall, graying man. _That must be her father_. Her mother scolded her and then pulled her into an embrace, sobbing.**  
**"Hey Kid," Morgan said, interrupting his thoughts. "Let Teagan talk to her parents. We need to work on the profile."  
"Right," he replied, walking off with Morgan towards the conference room.

**CMCMCMCMCM**

Teagan sat on the bench across from her mother. She was absolutely right. Her mother was angry at her for not calling, and upset about the stalker. However, she was thrilled about Spencer dating Teagan. She was absolutely thrilled, which was one good thing to come out of all of this. Aaron had been in earlier and said that it was best if her parents went into hiding as well. It was highly unlikely that the UnSub knew who her parents were, but it was the first step in a series of precautions. Lily and her boyfriend also had to go into hiding. Teagan was frightened. What could the UnSub possibly want with her? She wished it was over. Derek and Spencer had gone to the hospital to interview the staff, seeing if one of them could potentially be her stalker, while J.J. and Dave had gone to her apartment to look for clues. She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Teagan?" her mother asked. "I'm worried about you. Why don't you into hiding with us?"  
"No," she replied. "The person's after me! I can't put you in danger! Besides, you wouldn't have to go into hiding if it weren't for me!" _I've already put Spencer and my best friend in danger_. _And now my own parents. _She felt a tear trickle down her cheek. _Don't cry, Teagan. Don't do it again. You've cried enough. Oh hell._ She sobbed and her mother pulled her into a comforting embrace.  
"Baby, we're going to be fine, your daddy and me. And you're going to be fine too, by the looks of it. I haven't even met Spencer yet, but he sounds wonderfu, sweetie. All your dad and I want is for you to be happy." Her mom hugged her tighter as Spencer and Derek rounded the corner. She pulled away, hoping for good news, but Derek just shook his head.  
"That was a dead end," he stated. "Hi. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Wellers. I'm Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan. This is Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid." Derek extended his hand to both her parents. Spencer stood and waved awkwardly at the both of them.  
"Nice to meet you. I'm Stephen Wellers and this is my wife Melanie Wellers. Teagan is our only child. Please find her stalker. You are going to find him, right?"  
"Yes," Derek replied. "We just got back from the hospital where Teagan works. We interviewed some of her co-workers to narrow down the list of suspects, but none of them fit the profile."  
"Profile?" Melanie asked.  
"We believe Teagan's stalker thinks he's in love with her," Spencer began. "He left her a gift and then threatened her about having a new, um, relationship and showed her pictures of dead prostitutes that are from the D.C. area that we believe he killed. We've seen this type of stalker before. This UnSub will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants, which happens to be Teagan. He will even kill people who get in the way of his obsession with Teagan. But I assure you, he won't lay a finger on her."  
"Do you even know what this guy looks like?" Melanie asked.  
"We believe that her stalker is most definitely a white male in his mid-to-late twenties."  
"Hmm. Well that really narrows it down," Stephen said sarcastically. "I mean, how many white men are out there in their mid-to-late twenties?" Spencer opened his mouth to reply but Derek stopped him.  
"It would have to be someone who knows Teagan or has at least has an encounter with her. However, it's difficult to narrow down the suspect list with such little to go on, but trust me, we'll find him," Derek said.

"You better," Stephen replied. Spencer watched as Stephen turned to say goodbye to Teagan, who was still seated on the bench.  
"Dr. Reid?" Melanie asked.  
"Yes?"  
"You be good to my daughter, now," she warned. "If I find out you hurt her or put her in danger, you'll have to deal with me. Have you ever seen a Mama Grizzly, Dr. Reid?"  
"Yes," he swallowed nervously. "What about them?" She leaned forward slightly.  
"I make them look tame," she whispered, smiling before stepping away. "Nice to meet you!" She walked back to her husband and daughter. _Oh God. That was absolutely terrifying_. He stared at the woman._ I thought J.J. was an overprotective mother. My God._ He watched as Teagan tearfully said goodbye to both of her parents before they went into hiding. The Marshal Service was waiting with an escort right outside of the bullpen. Teagan pulled away from one last hug before sobbing hysterically.  
"Go to her Reid," Morgan said, pushing him towards her. Spencer stood next to her as she turned and sobbed into his shirtfront. He pulled her over to a bench and held her tightly against him.  
"I-It's all m-m-my f-f-fault!" she sobbed. "M-My p-parents and best friend have to go into h-h-hiding because of me! I didn't even get to say goodbye to Lily!"  
"It's not your fault," he said. "But you want them to be safe, right?" He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  
"Y-Y-Yes!"  
"Then this is what's best for them. You can go with them, you know. You don't have to stay here."  
"I-I-I d-d-don't want to go!"  
"Then don't," he answered simply.  
"I just want my life back!"  
"I know," he whispered, softly kissing her forehead. "I know."


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the views and reviews! They mean the world to me! :) I go back to school in a week, but I'm hoping I'll be able to update at least once a week! Hope everyone is enjoying this! Read and review, folks!-XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

Teagan sat on the bench a few hours later, still upset over about her parents and best friend. Spencer left to work on a geographical profile, whatever that was. Teagan was confused. Spencer had refused to tell her anything related to the case. When Derek and Spencer had spoken to her parents she had heard Spencer say that the women in the photos were prostitutes. Even if they were prostitutes, they still didn't deserve to die. Innocent people were dying because some sick nut thought he was in love with her. And it was her fault.  
"Teagan?" a tall brunette female interrupted her thoughts. She recognized the woman as one of Spencer's team members, Dr. Alex Blake. She remembered meeting her briefly yesterday when the team had arrived at her apartment, but she was in such a state of shock, she barely registered anything the woman had said to her. "How're you feeling?"  
"Frustrated," she answered honestly. She wanted to know what was happening, so maybe she could help the team. She wanted her family and her friends to be safe. Alex just nodded.  
"Would you like to take a walk?" Alex asked. "It could help clear your head."  
"That would be wonderful," Teagan replied. "So it would be like a tour of the FBI?"  
"Of sorts," Alex said. "C'mon. Let's go!" She followed Alex out of the bullpen, glancing over at Spencer who appeared to be concentrating deeply on the map spread out in front of him, a pen cap between his teeth.  
"Reid really needs someone special in his life, especially since everything that happened last January. I'm glad you two met."  
"Wait," Teagan replied. "What happened last January?"  
"You know? Maeve?"  
"Who's Maeve?" Teagan asked, extremely confused.  
"I can't believe he hasn't told you. This is why is he's throwing himself completely into this case. His former girlfriend died at the hands of a stalker." Teagan gasped and stared at the skinny man hunched over the map in the bullpen. She had an unusual and sudden urge to throw her arms around him and hold him_. That's why he's so protective of me_.  
"I never knew. Poor Spence," she frowned slightly.  
"I probably shouldn't have said anything," Alex said.  
"I won't say anything to him about it. I'll wait for him to say something about it. But that's just awful. I feel horrible for fussing at him now. I felt like he was being overprotective, but he had every right to be. After all, everything he was concerned about actually happened, but now I know why. Can you tell me what's going on in the case? Maybe I can help! Spencer won't tell me anything! I know that the UnSub—is that the correct term?—the UnSub killed prostitutes in the area and that he's in his mid to late twenties. That's it. I know y'all know more than you're telling me."  
"Spencer's trying to nail down a geographical profile right now."  
"What's that?" she asked.  
"All of the prostitutes bodies were dumped near or around the same area of D.C. This leads us to believe that the UnSub is very comfortable with that area. This usually means the UnSub lives nearby or that the area has an important significance to him."  
"But how does that help?"  
"If anyone on our list of suspects lives in or around that area, we can narrow down our list. We can interrogate everyone on our list that lives in that area and determine whether or not they fit the profile."  
"Well, who is a suspect? Derek and Spencer both interrogated my co-workers. Did any of them fit the profile?" she asked.  
"We thought your co-worker Gene fit the profile, but he doesn't."  
"Gene?" Teagan asked incredulously. "Why on earth would Gene fit the profile? I've always thought he was gay."

"I don't know about that, but he doesn't fit the profile. Morgan interviewed him," Alex replied. "Reid interviewed people that the both of you didn't have direct contact with."  
"Do they have another suspect?"  
"Plenty that fit the profile. But once Reid completes the geographical profile and narrows down our list, you can look at the pictures and see if you know any of them."  
"Okay." They ended their walk and stepped back into the bullpen. Teagan noticed that Spencer was almost finished with the geographical profile and was pinning it up on the board behind him, the pen cap still in his mouth.  
"Hey!" a loud voice startled her. It was Penelope. "Where have you been? I wanted to take you into a tour of the BatCave." Teagan laughed.  
"I took a walk with Alex. The BatCave?"  
"I'm not saying I'm BatGirl, but you've never seen me and BatGirl in the same room, have you?"  
"No," Teagan replied, grinning broadly. "Show me your BatCave, BatGirl!"  
"That sounds slightly dirty and kinky, which you know is how I roll, but aside from that, you are about to enter a place that many have heard about but very few have seen. Behold!" She exclaimed, brandishing her arms. Teagan took in all the equipment.  
"This is the BatCave?" Teagan asked. "There's more screens in here than I've ever seen in my life!"  
"The one and only. My equipment is super sensitive, so if you bring food in here, I have to clear it."  
"I won't bring food in here, trust me."  
"There's candy on my desk if you want some. Boy Wonder always has some when he comes in here."

"Spence has a sweet tooth?"  
"Like no other. He puts so much sugar in his coffee, it's ridiculous."

"How does he stay that skinny?"  
"I have no idea!" Garcia exclaimed. "He does forget to eat if you don't remind him, though."  
"How do you forget to eat?!" Teagan exclaimed. "I turn into an animal if I don't eat. I'm always eating." Garcia chuckled.  
"You're teensy, though. So the extra calories are probably needed."  
"Not really. If I eat too much, I turn into an Oompa-Loompa." Garcia laughed as a knock sounded on her door.  
"Enter if you seek the powers of the all-knowing Garcia!" she exclaimed. Spencer poked his head inside.  
"Oh there you are Teagan! Garcia, can you check to see if this person has a record?" He handed her a large manila envelope.  
"Of course, Sugar. I'll have answers in a jiffy." She turned to her screen and typed rapidly finding an answer in less than 15 seconds. "Here it is. Jeffrey Hollingsworth, age 28. He's got a quite a bit of a record here. Larceny, petty theft…hmm. Then he was arrested for flashing a sixteen year old girl at a mall and then following her home. Okay, that definitely fits the perverted creep category."  
"Has ever been arrested for stalking? Specifically stalking?"  
"Except for that arrest for flash and attempted grab, no."  
"Hmm," he said, puzzled. "Thanks, Garcia."  
"No problem, my love!" Teagan stared at the screen. The man didn't look familiar to her. At all.  
"Teagan, I'm going to get coffee. Do you want some?" Spencer asked.  
"No thanks, Spence."  
"Okay." He left the room. Teagan stared at Garcia.  
"Surely that guy can't be my stalker. I have no idea who that is. Wouldn't it be someone I know?"  
"Not necessarily, but even I know he's definitely not the guy."  
"Ugh, I'm so bored here!" she exclaimed. "I'm of no use to anyone. I feel like I'm being baby-sat."  
"Honey, no! You're company to me here in the Bat Cave! Reid just wants to make sure you're safe."  
"I know," she said. "I heard about Maeve."  
"You did?" Penelope asked. "Tragic, wasn't it?"  
"Yes," she replied sadly. "He's so protective of me. It's sweet. I've never dated much in my life, but he's the best guy I've dated. I don't know why, but his awkwardness is adorable to me."  
"You two are both too stinking precious!" Garcia exclaimed.  
"Is my pup giving you any trouble?"  
"McDuffie? No! He's such a sweetie. I let him sleep with me last night. I got all kinds of sweet snuggles. He barely even knows me, but he likes me!"  
"That's McDuffie!"  
"He did look all over my house for you though. I took that pillow you gave me that smelled like you, and he just curled up on it and whined."  
"Poor Duffers."  
"But then I gave him some cheese and he was all better."  
"That's my boy! I miss him and it's only been one night. I usually take him out of his crate and he sleeps with me. I had no puppy snuggles last night."  
"Did you get Genius to snuggle with you instead?" Penelope winked. Teagan turned bright red.  
"Um, that's a little personal, Pen."  
"I'm taking that as a yes." Garcia grinned.  
"Um, I'm leaving now," Teagan said, opening the door. "'Bye, Penelope."  
"Bye, Sweetcheeks! Give the Good Doctor some lovin'!" She yelled and Teagan closed the door, flushing red again. Morgan heard Garcia and laughed.  
"Baby Girl giving you a hard time?"  
"Yes," Teagan replied.  
"Aww, she means well, but do take her advice." Morgan winked.  
"I hate both of you."  
"Oh, Little Bit, don't be like that. Oh lookie here, The Good Doctor has arrived." Spencer waved at both of them.  
"Hi, Teagan."  
"Hey, Spence."

"We've made very little progress, but would you like to look over the list of suspects that we've narrowed down? You may be able to identify one of them."  
"Sure. I just want this over and done with so I can get back to my life."  
"I know." He walked her over to the table where several pictures lay. "Do any of these men look familiar?" Teagan studied each of them carefully.  
"No," she replied. "I'm sorry."  
"It's okay. We'll start over in the morning when we're all fresh. You ready to call it a day?"  
"Yes! Tomorrow I'm swiping some of your books to read, if that's okay."  
"It is."  
"Good, I've been bored all day." He took her hand as they boarded the elevator.  
"Well tonight, I thought we could possibly finally have that Doctor Who marathon."  
"That sounds fantastic! With a carpet picnic?"  
"Of course," he said.  
"Great!" she exclaimed, practically giddy with excitement as they exited the elevator. "You get excited easily," he noted.  
"Yes! As someone once told me, 'it's the little things in life that make you the happiest.'"  
"That's good advice."  
"It is." She looped her arm through his as they entered the parking lot.

**CMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

_That little bitch. Looking at ridiculously stupid FBI agent like he's the best thing in the entire world. I can prove to her that I am what she deserves. What she needs. What could that man possibly offer her that I can't? He's scrawny. Why is she leaning into him like that and smiling? He's worthless. Completely worthless. In order for Teagan to notice me, I'm going to have to get rid of her little boyfriend. Yeah, she'll notice me then. She'll have to._


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews! :) They means the world to me. Really. Great feedback helps me to become a better writer. So if there is something you like or don't like, let me know. If Spencer is OOC, let me know. If Teagan's an annoying character and is too Mary Sueish, let me know. This chapter is not my best work. It's a little fluffy and I'm not really happy with it, but I couldn't find a way to make it sound any better after re-writing it about 20 times, but maybe you'll enjoy it. Hope you're enjoying this fic as much as I am writing it! Sorry for not updating, but has been down for me for a few days! ****:( If you haven't already, please read my one-shot titled "Claustrophobia and Metro Stations". Read and review, folks! Please! :) XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Criminal Minds.**

Teagan had fallen asleep next to him on the floor. Right after they came home for the evening, they both changed into their pajamas and started watching Doctor Who, while eating junk food on the floor. She had been confused about certain things in the show and he explained. He caught himself rambling occasionally, but Teagan never interrupted him. She just listened. Spencer glanced around the room at the remnants of their picnic. Between the two of them, they had managed to polish off the remainder of the pizza, half a bag of chips, and the remainder of the ginger ale. He picked up the trash they had accumulated and disposed of it. He hated for his apartment to be messy. The last time the apartment had been extremely filthy was when he was grieving for Maeve. The team had to help him clean it. That was the last time the apartment had been in such squalor. Teagan mumbled some unintelligible in her sleep. He walked over to her sleeping form and scooped her up in his arms gently. He wasn't a strong man by any means, but Teagan wasn't very big. He moved quietly and carefully as not to disturb her. He almost tripped at the doorframe to his bedroom because she left one of her shoes just inside the door. He managed not to trip and gently placed her in the bed, tucking the covers all around her. He shut the door quietly behind him and went back into the living room. He switched off the DVD player and TV before grabbing the blankets from the floor and making his couch into a makeshift bed. He grabbed the book nearest him and picked up exactly where he left off, but he couldn't really concentrate on what he was reading, which was highly unusual for him. He was so worried about Teagan. He knew there was something they were overlooking, but what was it?  
He and Derek had interviewed all of her co-workers and a few of her clients, but none fit the profile. Derek had interviewed Gene, since Spencer knew him. Spencer was absolutely convinced that Gene fit the profile, but Derek swore he didn't. Derek said his actions and words convinced him that he wasn't the guy. He seemed genuinely concerned about Teagan's safety. He didn't try to insert himself into the investigation. Spencer still was wary of him though. He didn't really care for Gene as his therapist. He felt like sometimes Gene didn't genuinely care about his clients, just the status his job held. Gene came across as "fake" to him, as if he were trying to compensate for something he lacked. Teagan, on the other hand, genuinely seemed to care about each and every one of her clients. However, he knew he was being slightly biased.  
None of the co-workers he interviewed fit the profile either. The team had profiled the UnSub as being highly delusional, believing that Teagan was in love him. The UnSub was more than likely rejected throughout his entire life. The UnSub was also possessive in his obsession with Teagan. He wanted her to belong to him and only him. He didn't like that Teagan was dating Spencer at all. Teagan said she had not noticed anything unusual lately except for the flowers. Hotch believed that it was possible that she had been stalked for quite a while, but the UnSub gained his confidence by sending her those flowers. He seemed to know things about Teagan, such as her favorite color and favorite flower. Of course, it wasn't hard to figure out her favorite color, but the flowers meant that the stalker could be someone close to her. Spencer picked up the book once again and began reading, but soon the words blurred across the page. He closed his eyes and soon he drifted off into a deep sleep.

**CMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

Teagan awoke hours later completely unaware to her surroundings. _Why am I in Spencer's bed? And where is Spencer_? _I must have fallen asleep on the floor in front of the TV._ _Did he carry me in here? _She stood up and stretched before stepping into the hallway. He was asleep on the couch, his glasses still on his face and a book open against his chest. He mumbled something in his sleep.  
"Diane, don't," he said softly as she came closer. _Who the hell is Diane?_ "No." He whimpered. "No. Maeve. Maeve. WAIT!" He screamed before his eyes fluttered open. He began to shake violently.  
"Spencer?" she asked softly. He blinked rapidly and she noticed his breathing was faster than normal.  
"Huh?" He was still shaking.  
"You okay?" she asked, coming closer to him. He didn't answer, but just sat up and buried his face in his hands. She sat next to him and placed her hand lightly on his back. He jerked away from her touch. "Do you want to talk about it?" He shook his head.  
"I don't want to lose you too," he mumbled.  
"Excuse me?"  
"I don't want to lose you too," he said again with more volume.  
"You're not going to lose me. I'm right here, Spence."  
"A few months ago," he sighed, "I lost my girlfriend to a stalker. The team helped me track her and her stalker down, but I wasn't able to save her." His eyes misted a bit.

"Spence, I'm so sorry," she said softly, rubbing his back with small soothing circles.  
"I can't lose one more person I care about," he said.  
"You're not," she said. He smiled slightly before taking her hand. She rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "I'm not planning on going anywhere. It just makes me mad that people are dying and my family and friends have to go into hiding and it's all my fault!" She turned her face into his shoulder. He cupped her face with his hand, turning it towards his.  
"Teagan, this is not your fault," he stated, his soft brown eyes never leaving hers.  
"But it is!" she wailed.  
"No it's not. This is what he wants you to feel. He wants you to blame yourself and feel guilty. But it's not your fault."  
"I want my family safe. I want my friends safe. I want_ you_ safe," she stated, her bright blue eyes meeting his.  
"I know," he said. "And we'll find him soon. There's just something we're missing. I know it's right in front of us, but I'm so distracted, I can't figure out what it is."  
"Stop being distracted. Think about something else."  
"That's easier said than done."  
"Well go to sleep and worry about it when you wake up. Your mind will have had a chance to rest."  
"After the nightmare I just had, there's no way I'm going back to sleep anytime soon," he said, rubbing his eyes.  
"Just close your eyes," Teagan said. "And relax." Spencer did as requested. She began humming softly, a tune he didn't recognize, running her fingers gently through his hair.  
"What are you humming?" he asked, opening his eyes.  
"A song called 'Fix You' by a band called Coldplay. I'll stop if it bothers you," she said, her cheeks turning pink.  
"It doesn't bother me," he said, closing his eyes once more. "Will you, um, sing to me? Wait, that's a bit of an odd request. Forget I asked."  
"It is an odd request, but if it helps you sleep, I don't mind."  
"You know my mom used to read to me to help me sleep?"

"That's sweet. My mom used to sing. She would sing an entire set of songs to me. As I got older, she stopped singing because I had outgrown it, but I still remember everything she sang to me."  
"I have an eidetic memory. I remember every word she's ever spoken to me. I know every book she's ever read to me."

"What's your favorite book?"  
"There's so many. She used to read Proust to me. I like his works. I also like Nietzsche."  
"And Thus Spoke Zarathustra."  
"Yes." He yawned and closed his eyes again. Teagan paused for a moment before singing softly,  
"_When you try your best, but you don't succeed. When you get what you want, but not what you need. When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep, stuck in reverse." _She stroked his hair, watching as he began to relax. "_And the tears come streaming down your face when you lose something you can't replace. When you love someone, but it goes to waste. Could it be worse_? _Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones and I will try to fix you_." She lightly traced his cheek with her index finger. His breathing was deep and even. _Had he fallen asleep already?_ She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes as well, letting sleep come.

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

Spencer heard something thump against his apartment door. He awoke with a start, jostling Teagan, who moaned sleepily against his chest. He yawned and glanced at the clock. It was probably just his daily newspapers. He carefully stood up careful not to disturb Teagan further and went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. He opened the door to find the standard stack of newspapers and an envelope addressed to him. He picked both of them up, locked the door and went back into the kitchen. He opened the envelope to find a letter similar to Teagan's, complete with the same blocked letters that appeared to be from a magazine or newspaper. He began to read the letter.  
_Leave her alone, Doctor Reid. She's mine. You don't want her to wind up like Maeve, do you? _His hands shook as he read the letter. _How the hell did he know about Maeve?_ He glanced back at his couch, seeing Teagan's sleeping form. They had profiled this guy very well. He was going to stop at nothing until he had Teagan, but Spencer wasn't about to let that happen.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. I've had a nasty case of writer's block and couldn't be inspired to write more than a paragraph. It took me DAYS to dredge out this chapter. And it's also not my best work. I'm not happy with it, even though I've revised it almost a billion times. I need to get inspired and write better chapters. However, on a side note I saw Frozen tonight! Did anybody else see it? It was sooooooo wonderful. Go see it if you haven't. Anyway, I digress. I'm amazed at the number of followers and reviews that I've gotten in the past few days even without updating. You guys are wonderful. Seriously. The reviews fuel me on. :) Read and review, please! XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

An hour later, the rest of the BAU team was inside Spencer's apartment. Spencer was in the kitchen with Hotch and Morgan, pacing back and forth. The pot of coffee that had been brewing was long forgotten. Teagan sat on the couch between Garcia and J.J., her head resting on Garcia's shoulder.  
"Kid, look. You both need to leave here," Morgan said, placing both hands on Spencer's shoulders. "We'll put you both in protective custody."  
"I've already tried to convince her to do that!" Spencer exclaimed, running his hands anxiously through his hair. "She won't listen to me!"  
"Reid," Hotch said. "You said so yourself. She's blaming herself for her family and best friend having to go in protective custody. She blames herself for the murders of those prostitutes. She knows that protective custody is her only option now, but she doesn't want to do that. This UnSub is about control. He wants to control her, possess her. She has little control over her freedom right now. By going into hiding, she will be giving up all control of her freedom."  
"You're right," Spencer replied, still pacing.  
"Kid, this creep's after both of you now. Hotch has to call the Marshal Service."  
"But I need to help all of you. Put Teagan in protective custody. You still need me on this case."  
"No, we can't do that and you know it," Hotch replied. "After all, you're too closely involved with this case as it is. You need to remove yourself from the case."  
"That didn't stop you when Foyet was after Haley and Jack. You still hunted him. You didn't go into protective custody."  
"That was different, but look what happened," Hotch said, his mouth forming a hard line.  
"I didn't mean it like that, I um…"  
"I know you didn't Reid," Hotch replied. "But it's possible that the UnSub knows you personally too, especially since he's targeting both of you now."  
"I'm convinced it's Gene," Spencer said. "He has to be the UnSub."  
"Kid, I've already told you. He doesn't fit the profile," Morgan said.  
"But look closer. I've worked with him personally."

"That's why you didn't interview him. You know him personally," Hotch said. "Why do you think he's the UnSub?"  
"I just have a bad feeling about him. I can't explain it."  
"That's not a valid reason," Morgan said. "Why do you think he fits the profile?"  
"I've told you I can't explain it," he stated.  
"Try."  
"He comes across as "fake". He doesn't seem to genuinely care about his clients. He asks me extremely personal questions during our sessions."  
"Reid, he's a therapist. They're supposed to."  
"I know that, but he's so blunt about it. I know it's strange, but there's something off about him," Spencer stated.  
"That still isn't enough to prove that he is the UnSub," Morgan said. "What do you want me to do Reid?"  
"I just want her safe. I don't want her to end up like…" He trailed off, licking his lips and swallowing. "Like Maeve."  
"I know, Kid. But you're both going to be fine. We'll catch this creep," Morgan said, patting him on the back reassuringly before leaving the kitchen. Spencer followed him into the living room. Teagan was still on the couch, squished between Garcia and J.J. Teagan laughed at something J.J. had told her and he smiled. He was glad J.J. and Garcia were here to cheer her up. He walked over to the couch.

"Hey Spence!" J.J. said. "We were just talking about you."

"Oh really?" He asked, frowning slightly.  
"Don't worry! They were all nice things!" Teagan said.  
"Well that's good to know, I guess," he replied, still frowning. "Teagan, can I talk to you for a second?" He gestured towards the kitchen.  
"Of course," she replied, as he took her hand and led her into the kitchen. "What's the matter?"  
"Hotch and Morgan have decided that it would be best if we both went into protective custody," he stated, watching as she bit her lip.  
"No," she said defiantly.  
"Teagan!" He exclaimed.  
"No."  
"Teagan, listen to me! We have to be placed in protective custody. I don't want to any more than you do, but the UnSub is targeting both of us. It's for our own safety."  
"No," she said again, placing her hands on her hips. He smirked. He knew she was trying to appear formidable, but it wasn't working. With her small frame and delicate features, her stance was far from intimidating.

"What are you smirking at?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.  
"Nothing," he replied.  
"That's what I thought," she replied, winking. "My answer is still no. I'll go tell Aaron myself."  
"Teagan, please," he begged. "If we make you unavailable to him, maybe he'll reveal himself to us."  
"But by going into protective custody, we're already doing what he wants, right?"  
"No, not exactly. See, the UnSub suffers under the delusion you're in love with him. He said in his note to me that _'She's mine_.' He obviously thinks you're in love with him and that he's in love with you. He's obsessed with you."  
"So it's like Erotomania?"  
"It's basically a form of obsessive love. The UnSub feels an overwhelming sense of desire to possess you and is unable to deal with rejection. We know the UnSub has probably been rejected throughout his entire life. For some reason, he feels like you accept him." Teagan bit her lip again, thinking.  
"But why?"  
"It could be anything. You could have smiled at him on the street, waved at him, who knows?"  
"So the UnSub could be anybody?"  
"No. You know him. You've seen him before. He'll want to be close to you. The flowers suggested that he is definitely demonstrating his affection for you. However, I think that he may have been stalking you for a while. He knows your favorite flowers. I didn't even know that orchids were your favorite flower, even though I knew purple was your favorite color. That's not hard to deduce."  
"Lily's the only one who knows what my favorite flower is. But I know she's not the UnSub."  
"Definitely not."  
"Wait," she said. "My ex-boyfriend knew what my favorite flowers are. But he's back home in Georgia."  
"The UnSub lives nearby. We don't think he has much confidence, but he's gaining it."  
"Well, who do you think the UnSub could be?"  
"We think it could also be one of your clients," Hotch stated, interrupting their conversation. "Garcia's been checking the records that you keep of each one of your clients and we're comprising a list of suspects that fit the profile. Do you think once we're finished you'd be willing to look over the list?"  
"Sure," she replied. "Spence, do you think it could be a client? That's absolutely terrifying to think about."  
"It could be. I'm still convinced it's Gene."  
"It's not Gene either," she said quickly. "I've known Gene for a long time. We went to school together."  
"That's exactly why I think he's the UnSub. He's known you for a while."  
"He's not obsessed with me. He's a friend." Spencer groaned. Nobody was listening to him.  
"Teagan, usually a stalker is someone you know. Someone you've known for a long time."  
"That's not always the case," she argued. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, exasperated. This was getting nowhere. Morgan stepped into the kitchen.  
"Reid. Hotch wants to see you for a minute."  
"Okay." He left the kitchen and stepped into his living room. Hotch was near his desk, studying the letters the stalker had left for them.  
"Morgan said you wanted to see me?"  
"Yeah. Look how these bodies are positioned."  
"I already have. They are in similar positions, all naked from the waist down. We know the UnSub likes to be in control. He placed them all in demeaning positions, which represents his position of power. The women were found in warehouses all close to the downtown area. Has Morgan gone to the crime scene yet?"  
"No," Hotch replied. "He and Rossi are going to go to the crime scenes. Blake and J.J. are going to the morgue to examine the bodies. You are going to stay here with Teagan until a safer place is found for both of you."  
"Thanks, Hotch," Spencer said, a note of gratitude in his voice. Teagan came out of the kitchen with two steaming mugs of coffee in her hand.  
"Here," she said, handing him a cup.  
"Thank you."  
"You're welcome. Morgan showed me where you keep all your coffee stuff." Spencer smiled in response and took a sip. _Perfect_. "Is it okay? Did I put enough sugar in it?"  
"Yeah," he nodded.  
"Good," she answered, grinning.

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

Teagan was curled up on Spencer's couch reading a book. Rather, trying to read a book. She couldn't concentrate. She hadn't even finished the third paragraph. It was one of the many Sherlock Holmes novels he owned, The Hound of the Baskervilles. She had read the novel once before, but she wanted to read it again. However, once she started the novel, she couldn't concentrate. The team had dispersed to various locations searching for clues that would lead them to her stalker. She looked around. Spencer and Hotch were talking quietly, at his table. Penelope had gone back to Quantico to her BatCave. Spencer was such a technophobe; he didn't even have Wi-Fi at his apartment. Teagan's fingers itched for her piano. She always played when she was nervous or stressed. Spencer looked up from his conversation with Hotch, giving her a reassuring smile. He was just so nice. She instantly regretted their slight argument earlier. He was just trying to protect her. He didn't want what happened to his former girlfriend to happen to her. However, she felt completely stupid and useless, just sitting here trying to read a book. She didn't want to go into protective custody, although Hotch had made it clear that his decision was final. She wasn't scared for herself anymore but for Spencer. When she awoke to discover Spencer pacing in his kitchen, clutching a letter very similar to hers, she became upset. She was angry because the stalker had threatened someone close to her and scared because she didn't want anything to happen to Spencer.

Spencer was becoming an important fixture in her life. She really cared about him. It was definitely the most interesting relationship she had ever been in. Spencer was so much smarter than she was and she was honestly surprised he liked her in return. She stood up from the couch and stretched her cramped muscles. She was incredibly bored.  
"Can I do something to help?" she asked.  
"Yes, you can actually," Hotch replied. "Garcia wants to know if you have any files on clients that aren't in your computer?" Teagan bit her lip again, thinking.  
"Yes, actually. Yes. I have three files that are currently being updated. They're in my desk. Do you need them?"  
"Yes," Hotch said. "You said they're in your desk?"  
"Yes. The bottom drawer on my desk. But oh! The key's back at my apartment!"  
"Where in your apartment?" Hotch asked.  
"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I don't remember where I had it last." She flushed in embarrassment. _Great Teagan. Lose your damn key why don't you?_ "But I know it's in my apartment!"

"Okay," Hotch said, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Reid? Take Teagan back to her apartment. I would do it, but the Marshals are due here in an hour. Teagan? Go back to your apartment, find your key, and come straight back. After you are both back here and placed in protective custody, I'll go to your office and find the files."

"Okay," she replied. Spencer fished for his keys in his messenger bag.  
"Take the SUV," Hotch stated, handing his keys to Spencer.  
"Okay." Spencer said, grabbing Teagan's hand and heading out of his apartment.  
"Why are we taking the SUV?"  
"It's got tinted windows and it's not as conspicuous as my Volvo."  
"Oh. It's really nice," she said, staring at the sleek black SUV. "And big."  
"I haven't driven this as much. I have only driven this SUV twice."  
"Is it safe to ride with you? Should I go back and stay with Hotch?" she teased.  
"Um, I think it's safe. I've known how to drive since I was twelve. The government just wouldn't issue me a license because I wasn't sixteen."  
"Uh-huh," she said with a teasing lilt to her tone as she slid into the leather passenger seat.  
"It's the truth," he stated.  
"Sure it is." She smirked. Suddenly, Spencer cupped her face with his hands and pulled her towards him, kissing her gently and softly. He pulled back and put the SUV into drive and started towards her apartment.  
"I hope I find my key. I think it's in my jewelry box on my dresser."  
"Hopefully it will be," he replied.  
"I'm so scatterbrained." He chuckled as he pulled into the apartment complex. "You know what? I'm just going to get my keys. There's no need to bring my purse or phone in. We'll be in and out."  
"That's true. Bring your phone, though. My battery is low."  
"Okay." She grabbed her keys from her purse and followed Spencer to her apartment. He took the keys from her and unlocked the door.  
"I'm going to check to make sure it's clear and if it is, you can come in," he stated, pulling his gun from his belt.

"Okay." All these security measures felt a bit ridiculous, but she saw the necessity in them. She tapped her foot absentmindedly, waiting for Spencer to give her the "all clear".  
"Teagan, RUN!" he yelled suddenly. "Go! Now!" She heard a thump followed by a yelp. She began to run, reaching into her pocket to pull out her phone. No signal. _Shit! Where to go?_ She raced out of the parking lot towards the park, hyperaware of her surroundings. Someone was following her. She started to glance behind her and tripped over the uneven sidewalk, landing flat on her stomach, her head hitting the concrete. Her vision swam and the world went black.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey everyone! I'm BACK! (In case you missed me! Which I hope you did.) Anyway, I will update as much as I can. I'm studying and practicing and being the busy person I usually am during the semester. However, I do not want this story to go on the back burner. I will try to update at least once a week. So I hope you enjoy this chapter! Read and review, folks! :) XOXOXO-FirefliesFlash**

Teagan awoke hours later in an unfamiliar room with white walls. Sunlight streamed through a window on her right, causing her to shut her eyes tightly. _Much too bright_. Machines clicked, hummed and whirred with each breath she took. _Am I in the hospital? Where's Spencer? _She opened her eyes again and started to adjust herself into a sitting position but the room began to spin. Her head throbbed painfully. A perfectly manicured hand came to rest on her arm, steadying her.  
"Whoa there, Sweetness! Stay still for a minute."

"Penelope?" Teagan asked, hoarsely. Her throat felt like sandpaper.  
"Yes, my dove?" Penelope asked, smiling sweetly at her.  
"Where's Spencer?" she asked, fear entering her voice.  
"He's fine. He's got a few cuts and bruises, but other than that, he's absolutely fine. He's going to cuss me when he gets back in. I just made J.J. take him to get some fresh air and food from the cafeteria. They've only been gone for about 5 minutes."  
"J.J.'s here too?" she rasped. _God, her throat ached.  
_"Of course!"  
"What happened, Penelope?" she asked, confused. She remembered Spencer telling her to run but she couldn't remember anything else.

"Well, you were running and you tripped, fell and smashed your head against the pavement, causing you to have a rather nasty concussion and you have a few scrapes and bruises." The memories came flooding back. She felt fear creep into her chest as she remembered someone chasing her. Her breathing hitched and her heart rate increased, causing the monitor to beep wildly.

"Teagan, calm down! You're safe. Absolutely safe," Penelope said, patting her arm reassuringly. Teagan closed her eyes for a moment when the nurse stepped in.

"Oh Miss Wellers! Glad to see you're awake! What on earth is going on?" the nurse asked sternly, placing her hands on her hips.  
"She just got a little stressed," Penelope stated. "She's fine."  
"Okay. My name is Tiffany, Miss Wellers. I'm going to tell the doctor you're awake. If you're doing well, you may be able to go home tonight."  
"Thanks Tiffany. And please call me Teagan."

"All right, then, Teagan. Do you need anything?" the nurse asked.  
"Some water please," Teagan replied.  
"Okay. I'll be right back with your water."  
"Thank you!"  
"No problem, my dear," the nurse replied as she left the room. Teagan looked over to see Penelope texting away rapidly on her phone.

"I just texted J.J. She and Spencer are on their way back."  
"Thank you, Penelope," she murmured sleepily. "I'm tired."  
"Rest," Penelope stated. Teagan heard footsteps rapidly approaching in the hall, as if someone were running. The door handle clicked open and her eyes fluttered open to see a breathless Spencer standing there. He looked like hell. He had a cut on his lower lip, a black eye, and a bruise forming on his cheek. His knuckles were heavily bandaged. "Spencer!" she exclaimed.  
"It looks worse than it is," he said, chuckling slightly. "How're you feeling?" He walked over to the bed and gently took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over her knuckle.  
"My throat aches and my head aches, but other than that, I feel alright. What about you? What on earth happened?" she exclaimed. "Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine. Nothing's broken or fractured. I just need a few days to rest and then I should be able to go back to work," he said reassuringly. "Well, the UnSub was definitely in your house. He ambushed me and started after you, but I managed to catch him in the parking lot before he got close to you and I, um…well, I um…" he trailed off, blushing furiously.  
"What, Spence?" She gently squeezed his hand, mindful of his bruised knuckles.  
"He beat the shit out of him!" Garcia exclaimed. "Morgan had to peel Reid off the guy. As you can tell, Boy Wonder did not leave unscathed, but man I wish I could have seen what the other guy looked like!" Teagan's eyes widened, amazed. She was trying to picture Spencer attacking someone. Spencer was not a confrontational person and wasn't usually aggressive nor was he muscular in stature.  
"Spencer!" she exclaimed again. He blushed deeper and his brown eyes met hers. "So who was it?" she asked.

"You were right," Spencer replied. "It wasn't Gene."  
"Who was it then?"  
"John Parker," he answered quickly.  
"John?!" Teagan asked incredulously. "As in my client John?"  
"Yes. Hotch said he's confessed to everything."  
"That's so hard to believe. John was such a sweet guy."  
"Who was also stalking you and was indeed obsessed with you," he stated.  
"He suffered from depression. That doesn't make any sense."  
"He said 'You listened'," J.J. stated. "I think that was what triggered the obsession."  
"Still doesn't make sense. Why was he killing those poor girls?"  
"They were a substitute for you. He would have killed you if he got his hands on you," Spencer said solemnly. Teagan bit the inside of her cheek. Of all the people that could have been her stalker, John was the last person she suspected. He had never been violent towards her in any way. The nurse, Tiffany, came back in the room holding a Styrofoam cup of water.  
"Here you go, dear," Tiffany said, handing Teagan the cup.  
"Thank you," she replied, taking a sip and letting the cool water quench her parched throat. _Oh that feels heavenly_.  
"No problem. Is this your boyfriend?" Tiffany asked, gesturing to Spencer.  
"Yes," Teagan replied, blushing slightly.  
"He's a keeper," she stated. "He hasn't left your side the entire time you've been here. And he's always making sure that we're doing our jobs correctly." Teagan smirked as Tiffany left the room.  
"Have you been harassing the staff?" Teagan asked, raising her eyebrows. Spencer looked away and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Has he?" she asked Penelope and J.J. They both shrugged. Teagan smiled and took another sip of her water. Spencer yawned.  
"You need a nap."  
"I'm fine," he stated, yawning again.  
"Did you eat anything?"  
"No," J.J. said. "We just got to the cafeteria when Garcia texted us, so we turned back around."  
"Have either of you eaten?" Teagan gestured towards Penelope and J.J.  
"No," Penelope said. "We'll get something in a bit. Don't stress yourself. You and Reid both need sleep. When the doctor comes, maybe he'll give you a clean bill of health and you can both go home and sleep for three days."  
"Great! And someone can remove this IV. I'm glad I was unconscious for this part. I hate needles!" Penelope and J.J. laughed. Spencer looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment before he chuckling along with them.  
"Why do you hate needles?" Penelope asked.  
"I don't know. I think because I associate them with being painful. I have deep veins, so whenever someone draws blood, I get poked and prodded a lot. I end up with a bruised arm!"  
"That sucks," Penelope said.  
"Yes it does." A knock on the door interrupted them.  
"Come in," Teagan shouted before coughing. Her throat was still dry. An extremely tall man with a thick gray beard stepped in.  
"Hello, Miss Wellers. I'm Dr. Quigley. I need to run a few quick tests to see if you'll be discharged." He stared at the three other people in the room. "Would you like for them to stay? With confidentiality laws being as they are-"  
"They can stay!" She interrupted.  
"All right, very well. Miss Wellers, can you please follow this light with your eyes?" Teagan did as requested. "No dilation. Good. No cranial swelling. Good. Miss Wellers, you are good to go. Take it easy for the next few days. You did have a concussion after all. Lots of rest. And please let someone stay with you for the first twenty-four hours. Do you have someone to stay with you?"  
"Yes," Spencer replied quickly.  
"Good. I'll go sign your discharge papers right away. You should be leaving in the next few hours."  
"Thank you!" He smiled before closing the door. "Hallelujah!" She punched the air enthusiastically, the motion causing her head to swim. "Whoa!" She shut her eyes tightly.  
"Just rest," Spencer stated. "Don't do anything too rambunctious just yet." He gripped her hand tighter in his.  
"I can't believe you were wailing on John. Poor John. Does he look anything like you do right now?" Teagan asked.  
"I came out the worst," he admitted. "But John is okay. He's been checked out by the paramedics."  
"So nothing's broken, huh?"  
"Nope. Just some superficial injuries. No internal bleeding or broken bones or anything serious."  
"That black eye looks pretty serious to me."  
"I've had worse. Trust me."  
"Well, Chocolate Thunder and I are going to be watching both of you like hawks tonight," Penelope stated. "No ifs, ands, or buts about it, Reid!"  
"I don't need looking after! The doctor didn't say I needed supervision for the next twenty-four hours!"  
"Shut it!"  
"Thanks, Penelope," Teagan said with a giggle. Spencer's brow furrowed.  
"No problem, Muffin!"  
"Are my parents and my best friend able to come out of protective custody now?"  
"Yes," Spencer said. "Hotch is filing all the necessary paperwork. You'l be able to see them by tomorrow."  
"Yay!" She yawned. "I'm going to nap now. Thanks to all of you for your help for being here. I'm baking you all cookies when I feel better."

"Go to sleep," Spencer said. "You can thank us later." She yawned again and motioning for him to come closer. She gently kissed his cheek before closing her eyes and falling into a dreamless slumber.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys! I updated last Friday and here I am, keeping my promise of updating once a week. This chapter is the LONGEST one I've ever written. I just wrote until I couldn't write anymore. There's some mild Reid whump in this chapter. Please don't hate me! Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the reviews when I'm not updating. I appreciate them! By the way, is anybody else incredibly pissed about the cliffhanger of "The Road Home"? Really, CM? You're going to make me wait TWO WEEKS to find out what happened to J.J.? Really? Anyway, read and review folks! XOXO-FirefliesFlash**

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Criminal Minds, however much I wish I did.

Teagan slid out of Garcia's car, clutching Spencer's hand tightly for support. She was still slightly dizzy and her head throbbed slightly. The doctor had instructed her to take ibuprofen for the pain and to rest for a few days. She wasn't allowed to return to work until her symptoms cleared, which could take up to a week. She missed her clients. She wondered how David, the small boy with cancer, was faring. She couldn't believe one of her own clients had been stalking her. She also had a meeting with her supervisor, the hospital director, when she returned to discuss the details of the impending case against John Parker. She was dreading that. The hospital director was a terrifying person. She and Gene often joked that the fifty year old woman could instill fear in anyone.

Spencer led her inside his apartment building, towards the elevator. Garcia followed close behind them. She insisted on making sure they were settled before she left for the night. Spencer bounced up and down on the balls of feet impatiently, waiting for the elevator to arrive.  
"You two are awfully quiet. Have been for the entire ride over here," Garcia stated.  
"I'm tired," Spencer replied, rubbing his eyes with his free hand, ignoring the pain in his bruised knuckles.  
"Me too," Teagan stated, as they all stepped into the elevator. "And I'm hungry. I know Magic Man is too. When I feeling better, I'm cooking for the entire team. Significant others included. Y'all have been so wonderful to me."  
"Aww, honey, you don't have to cook for us," Penelope stated.  
"Hush! I want to. It's the least I can do. I mean, you all literally saved my life. I'm not sure how to repay all of you, but I will."  
"Technically Boy Genius saved your life. We just assisted. I think you should take up payment methods with him. I, for one, think a little extra dose of lovin' is well needed."  
"Garcia!" Spencer exclaimed, flushing bright red. Penelope winked in return.  
"You're fun to tease," she replied, stepping off the elevator. Spencer reached into his messenger bag and fished for his keys.  
"It looks like we'll have to order take-out again," he stated, opening the door. "I really need to go to the grocery store."  
"Maybe you can go tomorrow," Teagan replied. "Oh my God! I just realized I'll be able to leave the house without being under constant surveillance! I won't know what to do with my life!" Penelope giggled.  
"I bet."  
"I also miss McDuffie and I'll be glad to be back in my own apartment tomorrow."  
"He's so sweet. And he misses you too."  
"Thank you so much for keeping him."  
"I enjoyed it! I'll be sad to see him go."

"I hope he didn't pee all over your stuff. He does that. He peed on Spencer's shoe the first time they met." Penelope burst into laughter.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed. "Reid how did you not tell me this?"  
"Um, because it was really embarrassing."  
"It's hilarious! Dogs really do hate you, don't they?"  
"McDuffie has warmed up to him a bit since then," Teagan stated. A loud knock sounded on the door, startling all of them.  
"Who could that be?" Penelope asked. Spencer strode over to the door and peered through the peephole.  
"It's Rossi," he said, sounding surprised.  
"Well, let him in!" Penelope stated.  
"Hey Rossi," Spencer said, opening the door. "Why don't you come in?"  
"I think I will, but I won't stay long," he replied, stepping into Spencer's apartment, his arms laden with bags. "I brought you guys a little something."  
"Rossi, you didn't have to," he protested.  
"I wanted to. Morgan told me you're always low on food. I figured you were both tired of take-out, so I whipped up some lasagna, garlic bread and I brought the makings for a nice salad. And for dessert, chocolate covered strawberries."  
"Thanks, Rossi!" Spencer exclaimed, his face breaking into a wide smile. "I really appreciate it."  
"I figured you two were also a bit overdue for a romantic evening," he stated. "There's a few other things in here too. You know, to set the mood." He patted the second bag. Spencer flushed pink.  
"Are you sure, um, you don't want to stay and eat with us?" he asked. "You too Garcia?"

"No," Rossi said. "I'm fine. You two enjoy."  
"Yeah," Garcia replied. "Enjoy a romantic evening together."  
"Thank you Dave," Teagan said as Spencer reached forward and took both bags from him and took them into his kitchen. She stepped forward and hugged the older FBI agent, surprising him.  
"You're welcome. I hope you enjoy it. Have a good night." He patted her on the back.

"I'm sure we will. Drive safely."  
"'Bye Rossi," Spencer waved awkwardly. "Thanks again for the food."

"No problem. Do something about your eye. You look like hell, Kid." Rossi headed towards the elevator. Spencer looked down at the floor for a moment. He knew he was out of line for beating Parker and there would probably be repercussions, but he didn't care. Teagan was safe.  
"Well, I'm going to go too," Garcia stated. "I need to feed McDuffie and take him for a walk. You two have a great night. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Teagan hugged her goodbye.  
"Thanks for everything, Penelope."  
"No problem, Sweetness. Come here, Genius." She hugged Spencer goodbye before leaving. After she left, Spencer locked the door.  
"Are you ready to eat?" he asked.  
"Yes. I'm starving!" Spencer chuckled while walking towards the kitchen. He grabbed two mismatched plates and glasses out of his cupboard.  
"Need some help?" Teagan asked, stepping into the kitchen, startling him.  
"No, I've got it." She moved closer to him, grabbing his tie.

"Thank you." She placed her head against his chest and he automatically wrapped his arms around her.  
"For what?" He asked, confused.  
"For saving my life." He paused for a moment, unsure how to respond. She gently tugged on his tie again, pulling him towards her. His lips pressed against hers, and he moved one of his hands to cup her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He tightened his grip on her waist with his other hand ignoring the pain in his knuckles, pressing her tighter against him. She slid her arms that were resting against his chest to wrap around the back of his neck. He kept kissing her, forgetting where he was, forgetting all that had occurred in the past few days. All he could think about were the feel of her lips on his and how warm and wonderful her body felt pressed against his. She pulled away before he was ready to. Both of them were breathing raggedly.  
"Wow," she said, leaning forward, her forehead touching his lightly.  
"That's an understatement," he replied.  
"What did I come in here for again?" she asked, giggling.  
"I really don't know," he answered, kissing her again quickly. "Something about food." He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.  
"Oh yeah. Food," she said as his lips trailed down her neck, before he stopped to kiss the spot just above her collarbone. "I've never seen this side of you before, Dr. Reid." She smiled. He kissed the corners of her upturned mouth before pulling back to look into her bright blue eyes.  
"Am I doing something wrong?" he asked, his brow furrowing with worry and confusion.  
"Of course not," she replied. "It's just that you've never kissed me like that before. It's very…." She struggled to find the right word. "Well, sexy." He flushed at the word _sexy_. That was a word nobody had used to describe him before.  
"So, I'm doing something right?" he asked.  
"Yes," she replied, sliding her arms around his waist. "You're doing something very right. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me."  
"Um, uh, I, um…" he stammered, turning another shade of red.  
"It's okay, Spence. I was teasing."  
"Oh," he said, pulling away from her grasp and grabbing one of the brown bags on the counter before rummaging through it. He placed a large pan of still-warm lasagna on the counter, followed by a container of tossed salad. The chocolate covered strawberries were next, followed by a small loaf of garlic bread. In the next bag he pulled out some long white candles and silver candle sticks, a red table cloth, and two bottles of chilled sparkling white and red grape juice. Spencer smiled.  
"Rossi thought of everything."  
"I see."  
"He probably would have sent some wine, but seeing how you can't drink until your concussion heals, he sent sparkling grape juice."  
"I like it better than wine anyway," she replied, grinning.  
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" She grabbed the tablecloth and the candles and began to fix Spencer's small wooden table. She spread the tablecloth out carefully on the table and placed the candles inside the candlesticks and put them on the center of the table.  
"Do you have a lighter? Or some matches or something?"  
"I think I may have some matches. Let me check." He turned and began rummaging through a drawer. "Here." He handed her a box of matches. She struck one and lit the candles. She blew on the match to get rid of the flame and walked into the kitchen to see Spencer placing heaping amounts of lasagna on both their plates.  
"That smells delicious."  
"It'll taste even better. Rossi is a great cook. He's had us over to his place before for dinner. We even had J.J.'s wedding in his backyard."  
"Oh wow." He scooped some salad on to her plate and placed a slice of garlic bread next to it. "Thanks." She took the plate from him.  
"Wait a second. Red or white ma'am?" he asked grinning, holding up both bottles of sparkling grape juice.  
"Hmm. Decisions, decisions. Which kind do you like?"  
"Red."  
"Red it is then," she said as he poured her a glass. "Thank you." He smiled in response. She waited while he fixed his plate and they stepped into the dining room, placing both their plates on the table. As she sat down into the chair, it wobbled slightly. She frowned.

"The leg broke years ago," Spencer said with a slight grin. "I tried to repair it, but it's still wobbly. Don't worry. I don't think it will break."  
"So you say," she replied, winking. "Delicious food, candlelight, wine, or well something like wine. It's almost perfect. The only thing missing is the music."  
"I was thinking the same thing. Be right back." He jumped up from the table and jogged lightly to his bedroom, returning with a CD case. "This is a gift from my friend Ethan, who's a jazz musician in New Orleans."  
"I didn't know you liked jazz."  
"I like this," he stated. "Ethan finally decided to record an album. I think it's pretty good." He placed the CD inside the CD player and switched it on. A smooth jazz piano piece floated through the speakers.  
"He's incredible," she breathed.  
"He taught himself how to play," he said, sitting back down and taking a bite of lasagna.  
"Self-taught musicians are always the best. At least I think so."  
"I taught myself how to play piano and I don't play that well."  
"I never knew you played."  
"I play a little. It's basically math, like I stated before. It's not hard to figure out the patterns. But you were classically trained. You have an advantage over the rest of us."  
"If you say so," she replied with a smirk.

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

30 minutes later the two of them were snuggled close together on Spencer's couch, listening to Ethan's CD for a second time. She was curled against his chest while he stroked her hair.

"Does it hurt?" she asked suddenly, interrupting the silence.  
"Excuse me?" She traced the bruise around his eye lightly with her index finger. "Oh. That? No, not really. I've had much worse," he replied, thinking about the countless times he was punched, kicked, or slapped by a fellow classmate. This one black eye was nothing compared to that.  
"Geez!" she exclaimed. "Is your job that bad?" He bit his lower lip, aggravating the cut there further, his eidetic memory reliving the various times he was injured on the job. The time with Hotch and Philip Dowd, those awful two days with Tobias Hankel, being shot in the knee by Patrick Myers, and then finally being shot in the arm by Diane Turner. He had two small scars from both gunshot wounds.  
"Spencer?" she asked, nudging him lightly. "You okay?"  
"I'm fine," he replied. "Just thinking." She grabbed one of his hands in hers, gently running her thumb over his knuckle before kissing it softly. _She's wonderful_. He sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. He was so tired. He was going to be very sore in the morning. Several more bruises had formed where Teagan, Morgan, and Garcia couldn't see, along his back, ribs, chest, and stomach. He barely did any damage to John Parker. He had tried though. Parker had taunted him. He was used to taunts, but this man had enraged him in a way no one ever had before

_He had seen something move inside the house as soon as he stepped inside.  
Teagan, RUN! Go! Now!" He grabbed his gun quickly, but was knocked sideways into Teagan's trashcan, just inside her kitchen. He kicked out blindly, making contact with something solid. The person yelped in response. He went to stand, but the man knocked him flat on his back, the air leaving his lungs in a rush. The man then grabbed Spencer's gun and whipped him across the stomach with it. It stung like hell. He sat up, coughing. The man then kicked him in the chest, sending him flying.  
"As soon as I'm done with you, I'm going to find her. And I'm going to tell her what a pathetic, weak, sniveling little boyfriend she had. She could have had a real man, but she chose your pathetic ass," the man sneered, kicking him again. Spencer lunged forward, and grabbed the man by the waist, knocking him to the ground. The man slung him easily into the refrigerator. "You're weak and pathetic. She needs a real man. Someone that can handle her. When I get my hands on her…ooh! We're gonna have one hell of a time."  
"Don't you dare touch her," Spencer threatened.  
"Oh, but I will. And when I do, she's going to beg me not to stop." WHAM! Spencer's fist collided with the man's chin. His knuckles screamed in pain. "You call that a punch?" The man laughed. "That didn't even hurt." Spencer glared at him.  
"If you so much as lay a finger on her, I swear to God, I'll-"  
"You'll what? Kick my ass? If that's what you're calling what you're trying to do right now, it isn't working. So long Doctor Reid. I'll take good care of her. I promise." The man picked up Spencer's gun and aimed right for his chest. Spencer squeezed his eyes shut tightly, saying a quick prayer that Teagan would be safe. Click. The gun was jammed. The man stared at the gun stupidly before dropping it quickly and rushing out the door.  
"No you don't, you sick bastard!" Spencer roared, before jumping on the man's back, sending them both sprawling on the ground. Spencer flipped the man over and landed blow after blow. The man punched him in the face once.  
"Stop! Truce! Truce! You win!" the man exclaimed. Spencer released his grip on him. The man kicked him in the face and scrambled to get away. "God you're such an idiot." Spencer grabbed his foot, knocking him back to the asphalt pavement. Spencer laced his fingers around the man's throat, choking him slowly.  
"Reid! Reid, stop!" someone exclaimed. "Don't do it, Kid. He's not worth it."  
"Yes he is, Morgan." Spencer tightened his grip.  
"Stop." Morgan wrapped his arms around him and pulled him off the man easily.  
"John Parker, you're under arrest for the rape and murder of ten women, stalking, breaking and entering, assault on a federal agent and attempted kidnapping," he stated authoritatively. _

_Fifteen minutes later, Parker was hauled off in an ambulance in handcuffs. Spencer sat on a gurney while an EMT checked his injuries. Two more EMT's pushed a gurney up the hill that held a small female form with blond hair. His heart rate increased and his mouth went dry. _

"_Teagan?" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Excuse me, is she all right?"  
"Dr. Reid, please settle down," the EMT in front of him ordered.  
"But that's my girlfriend. Is she all right?"  
"I'm sure she's fine. Just calm down."  
"But-"  
"Kid, she's fine," Morgan said from behind him, startling him. "She tripped on the sidewalk and gave herself a concussion. She's going to be fine." Spencer exhaled, able to relax.  
"Did they check to see if she had any other injuries?" Spencer asked worriedly.  
"Kid, calm down. The EMTs know what they're doing. She's going to the hospital. Now if you'll ever settle down and let this nice young lady do her job, you can ride with me."  
"Thank you," the EMT stated.  
"Morgan?" Spencer asked before he left. "How'd you know I'd need help?"  
"Hotch said you both had been gone way too long. Plus, Teagan hit the emergency dial on her iPhone."  
"Oh," he replied, looking down at his Converse.  
"Kid?" He looked up. "You beat the hell out of John Parker. You know that right? I didn't know you had it in you." Spencer smirked.  
"Yeah," he said shyly.  
"We might need to swing by your apartment so you can change." Spencer looked down at his shirt and pants, which were spattered with blood.  
"Probably. Thanks, Morgan."  
"Anytime, Pretty Boy."_

**CMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

Spencer awoke hours later to the small woman still curled against his chest, who sighed contentedly in her sleep. The CD was still playing on its loop. His muscles ached from sleeping in such a cramped position and from the beating they had taken earlier.  
"Teagan?" he asked nudging her gently awake.  
"Hmm," she moaned sleepily.  
"We need to go to bed."  
"Too comfortable. Don't want to. Can't make me."  
"Come on," he said, adjusting to half-sitting position, jostling her.  
"Stop," she groaned.  
"Come on," he said again, lifting her up easily from the couch in his arms. His muscles protested in agony from all of the overuse and he almost dropped her, but he managed to get her into a standing position at the last second.  
"I'm going, I'm going," she mumbled, stumbling sleepily to the bedroom. Spencer went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and remove his contacts. He opened the cabinet, reaching for his contact solution, when he realized he didn't have any. He thought he might have some in his go-bag, which was currently in his bedroom. He walked into his bedroom, momentarily forgetting Teagan. She was standing over her suitcase, wearing nothing but her red plaid flannel pajama pants.

"Spencer!" she exclaimed, clutching her t-shirt in front of her exposed chest. He flushed bright red.  
"I'm so sorry! Sorry! I'm sorry!" he yelled, turning away from her. "I came in here for contact solution. I forgot you were in here! Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"  
"It's okay," she said. "Just knock next time. Jeez!"

"I'm sorry!" he said again, turning around.

"It's okay!" she said again, giggling. "Come here, you adorable person, you." He walked over to her and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his stomach. "I honestly believe we're the most awkward couple alive."

"Probably," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"Come on and get ready for bed. Will you stay in here with me tonight?" He gulped and his face grew warm again.

"Um, sure. If you, um, want me, um, to," he stammered.  
"Yes, of course," she said tilting up her face to kiss his chin. "Don't worry. I'm not trying to seduce you. We both just always end up having nightmares, so I figured we could keep each other company tonight."  
"Can I keep the lamp on?" he asked suddenly.  
"Yes. I'm a guest in your house. You can do whatever the hell you want."  
"You won't mind?" he asked.  
"No. Why would that bother me?"  
"Because I'm thirty-one years old and still sleep with the light on."  
"I see no problem with that. I'm twenty-five and sleep with a baby blanket. You got a problem with that?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.  
"No," he answered, although to be honest, he found it a little strange. "Why do you sleep with a baby blanket?"  
"I don't know. I always have. I sleep better with it. Although lately, I sleep like the dead with or without it."  
"It's stress," he stated. "Anyway, so I can leave the light on?"  
"Yes. Are you scared of the dark or something?"

"Yes," he answered honestly. He licked his lips and looked slightly embarrassed.  
"Why?"  
"Because of the inherent absence of light," he answered, turning to go back into the bathroom. Teagan grinned to herself. Spencer was just so odd, but in a good way. He was shy, but so incredibly sweet. He was also the smartest person she'd ever met. He was so protective of her. The way he kissed her earlier made her head spin. She was still a virgin and was planning on waiting until she was married. However, for a brief second back in the kitchen, she was seriously considering going to bed with him. She had pulled away before it could go any farther. Spencer knocked on the door, interrupting her thoughts.  
"Hey. Are you decent?" he called from the other side of the door.  
"Yes." He opened the door, poking his head in.  
"Don't forget to take your ibuprofen before you go to bed."  
"Okay, Mr. Bossy Pants."  
"I'm not being bossy. I'm just reminding you. You forget things sometimes."  
"I do not!" she answered defensively. He chuckled.  
"Yes you do. You're incredibly absentminded, but I find it quite endearing." She frowned.  
"Well, you're a Know-It-All."  
"Guilty," he said pulling her into arms and kissing her quickly on the forehead.  
"So you do admit it," she mumbled against his pajama shirt. _What on earth is he wearing? _He was wearing quite a worn white flannel pajama set with rockets and comets on them. He looked like an overgrown five year old, but somehow it worked. He looked adorable. He caught her staring.  
"I like rocket science," he stated. "My mom got me these, by the way."  
"That's cute," she replied. "Have you been writing your mom lately?"  
"Oh yeah. I wrote her this morning." he said. "She wrote me back a week ago when she was having a good day."  
"That's good. I miss my mom," she sighed.  
"You'll get to see her tomorrow," he reassured her.  
"I know. I wish you had met her under normal circumstances. She likes you already, so don't worry." Spencer thought about how the woman invoked fear in him. She was completely terrifying. "Did she give you the "Mama Grizzly" talk?" Teagan asked, studying his facial expression.  
"Yes," he said, gulping and licking his lips.  
"She won't do anything. She likes you. Trust me. Now my ex, on the other hand, she absolutely hated."  
"Why?"  
"He was just a jerkface, but that's a story for another day. I'm tired and want to sleep. Let me finish getting ready for bed, and I'll come join you in that big comfy bed."  
"I'll be waiting," he said, giving her a quick peck on the lips.  
Less than ten minutes later, she stepped into the bedroom to see Spencer sleeping soundly, glasses still on his face. She climbed into the bed next to him and removed his glasses before placing them on the bedside table. He mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, clutching the blanket closer to him. He looked so young and innocent when he slept, especially in those pajamas. She lightly traced the bruises on his face. They looked extremely painful. One button had come loose from its matching button hole, exposing some of his chest, which was also black and blue from bruises. She gasped, completely shocked. He was more injured than he had let on. He was such a selfless person. She felt slightly guilty for all of his injuries. She had never wanted anyone, especially him, to get hurt because of her. She had been trying to deny her growing feelings for him for a while. She had only known him a little over a month, which was no amount of time to truly know someone, but she was beginning to think she loved him. She had never been in love before, but somehow all of the things that never made sense in past relationships, made sense with Spencer. She scooted close to him and kissed his forehead gently before nestling close to him and closing her eyes, all of the stress from the past few days catching up with her. She could finally rest, not having to worry about anyone attacking her.

**CMCMCMCMCMCM**

_His plans had been foiled. John had failed to bring Teagan to him and had definitely failed to kill that stupid FBI agent boyfriend of hers, although he was pleased that John had managed to rough him up a little. God! Some things you just had to do yourself. Teagan was going to be on guard for the next few weeks, so just kidnapping her wouldn't do. He had to plan, even more methodically than last time. And he had to kill that idiot FBI agent. Teagan wouldn't even miss him, once she found out what she had been missing out on. She deserved to know what a real man felt like. The guy was a fucking drug addict. How Teagan didn't notice was beyond him. He was going to have Teagan, if it was the last thing he did._


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey everyone! So many reviews, favorites, and follows since 11 pm last night. Thanks guys! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. However, I just want to clarify some things I've read in the reviews.**

**1.) I'm sorry if some of you don't like that Teagan and Spencer aren't having sex yet. They just don't strike me as a couple that would hop in bed after a few dates (not that there is anything wrong with that), but keep in mind that Spencer is socially awkward. He's not going to know how to initiate sex. He's never had an actual girlfriend. Teagan's still a virgin as well. They're going to be awkward and weird. I envision their relationship to be as strange and weird as they both are. Don't worry. There will be PLENTY of fluffy moments between the couple and they will get it on eventually, but just not right now. I just won't write smut.**

**2.) There was some confusion about John Parker. John is NOT the stalker. He was hired by the actual stalker to kidnap Teagan. The actual stalker will be revealed in the next few chapters. **

**I'm definitely going to try to update at least once a week. Keep the reviews coming. Thanks tannerose5! I will keep the suggestion in mind. I triple space in Microsoft Word, but it doesn't carry over here. I will definitely try to fix my spacing. It bothers me too, but I'm not sure how to fix it. So if anybody knows how to do that, give me a review to this as how to do it!**

**XOXOXO-FirefliesFlash**


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